


Boys Like You

by thoseotherthings



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Drama, F/M, Like a ton of it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-07
Updated: 2016-09-03
Packaged: 2018-05-31 21:26:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 67,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6487987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thoseotherthings/pseuds/thoseotherthings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He's the poster boy for the delinquents, and she's the valedictorian for her year. They end up in calculus together, and the rest is history.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Summer had passed in a blissful series of events that went as followed: Bunnyburrow for a week to see her family before she returned to Central City. Then, everyday but Sunday, she would wake up at 7AM to make it to her 9AM to 5PM internship. After eight hours of mindless pencil-pushing and catering coffees to unappreciative higher-ups, she returned to her aunt’s house for a quick microwave dinner and then jetted off to her tutoring gig from 7PM until 10PM. Then, as one last final hurrah to the warm and carefree days, she returned to Bunnyburrow again for a week to see her family.

Truly blissful.

_Not_.

“Ugh, you poor, little thing!” Clawhauser crooned, casting sympathetic eyes on her. He had one paw against his cheek and the other tapping a pencil (that looked abnormally small between such large fingers) against his wooden desk (which was also dwarfed by the cheetah’s sheer size). 

“I _know_ ,” Judy groaned, slumping into her seat. “If I have to sharpen one more pencil, something awful is going to happen to someone. At this point, school is _good_. I _love_ school. Nobody’s a bigger proponent of education than _me!_ ”

Ben laughed and finally set the pencil down, relieving Judy of the constant sound of it clicking against wood. “I wouldn’t speak so soon if I were you!” He singsonged.“Your sophomore year hasn’t even started yet.”

She scoffed, smiling and rolling her eyes good-naturedly. “Oh, _please_. Nobody remembers sophomore year! You don’t.” Her eyes flit around the room, landing on one of her classmates. “I’ll bet he doesn’t. I’ll be fine.” 

As Ben returned her grin with a small one of his own, he shrugged. “You never know, Judy.”

The corners of her lips fell a little and she opened her mouth to reply, but before the addressed bunny could dignify his comment with a response, the bell rang. Judy snapped her mouth shut, sat up straight, and folded her hands together so that they rested on the desk in front of her. Roll was taken, syllabi were passed around, and many attempts were made not to fall asleep (and it was only the first day. _Ugh_ ).

She repeated this routine three more times, then went to lunch.

“Juju!” A high voice shrilled from across the cafeteria, and “Juju” laughed at her friend, who was waving her tiny paw in the air despite the fact that that made absolutely no difference due to the arctic shrew’s small stature. Bounding over with her packed lunch in hand, Judy seated herself in the maroon, vinyl booth. “Ben’ll be here in a second, he’s checking if there are any donut fundraisers going on.” Fru Fru rolled her eyes, shooting Judy a _you-know-how-he-is_ sort of look. Sure enough, a tower of boxes entered through the double-doors of the lunchroom, the hulking linebacker balancing the stack in his arms while a gaggle of other students circled him and chattered animatedly.

By the time the cheetah reached his two best friends, he’d managed to talk away his fans. In his arms he carried two boxes of Giant Donuts, which he opened as he sat. Leaning in, he inhaled and sighed gratuitously. Judy laughed when his face lifted from the box, chocolate glaze stuck to the tip of his nose.

She sighed, eyes sparkling and filled with warmth as she spoke affectionately, “I missed you guys so much.”

When Ben spoke, his voice was muffled and bits of donut and sprinkles sprayed out of his mouth. “I’d miss us too if I worked my tail off the way you did!” Fru Fru shrieked, flinching to her side to avoid the carnage.

“What’d you do, Judy?” Their tiny companion asked. Her paws fiddled with the zipper of her lunchbox before peeling the container open. A feast sprang out from the inside, definitely an arrangement by their house chef.

“Too much, if you ask me,” Clawhauser answered for her. Judy laughed, shaking her head at him. 

Fru Fru, however, wasn’t _actually_ paying attention. “Want to know what I did?” She asked absent-mindedly, spreading some butter on a roll that was no bigger than a breath mint. 

Judy and Ben exchanged mirthful glances, used to Fru Fru’s antics. They both knew the shrew had only asked about Judy’s summer so that she could segue into her own. Still, they humored her. “I heard you visited family?” the bunny offered eagerly. “Sahara Square? Kinda hot for an arctic shrew, isn’t it?”

“ _Ooooooh!_ ” Fru Fru wagged her butter knife in the air, clearly disgruntled about something. “Let me just _tell you_ what happened–”

But just as she was beginning her story, the cafeteria doors slammed open. A wolf leapt in backwards, looking absolutely gleeful. A trio of weasels did the same, gesturing wildly at whatever was in front of them before falling over each other in a huge fit of laughter. 

The center of attention? Nick Wilde.

“Mm, that’s a bad boy and a half if I’ve ever seen one,” Ben hummed appreciatively, even taking the donut out of his mouth.

The “bad boy and a half” was walking in the middle of the group, and contrary to the cacophony and commotion surrounding him, he was calm and collected, striding casually with a lopsided grin that bordered on a smirk. Paired with his straight posture, paws in his pocket, and half-lidded eyes– which were coolly watching his friends reenact whatever scheme they’d just gotten up to– he looked the picture of contented smugness. 

These were the school delinquents, of which Nick was their poster boy. 

“Isn’t he just a cutie?” Ben chirped.

Shrugging a single shoulder, Judy turned her violet gaze back to the cheetah. “I’ve heard… interesting things about him.”

“Doesn’t mean he can’t be cute,” Fru Fru chimed in. “Doesn’t everybody love a guy whose a little mysterious?” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively and shimmied her shoulders. Ben laughed at the movement and Fru Fru continued the charade by winking at him– Judy was pretty sure she just saw a few sprinkles fly out of Ben’s nose as he guffawed.

“Hmm,” was her thoughtless reply as she rolled a steamed carrot around her tray with a fork. As far as she was concerned, Nick had nothing to do with her. Their paths would never cross, and that was fine with her. She was on track to graduate as valedictorian of her class, and he was, well…

What was he?

A delinquent. And she knew a lot about delinquents.

“You’re not going to eat just _donuts_ for lunch, are you?” Judy poked at Ben in an effort to change the topic. She looked at him with concern. “You’ll be starving by dinner! And you have practice after class!”

“Please, _mother_ ,” he scoffed, looking at her from over the chocolate glaze and sprinkles. “The whole _notion_ of designated times to eat is ridiculous. If I get hungry, I’ll eat. Easy as pie!” Brown eyes blinked, then widened. “Pie. That sounds pretty good, actually.” But the bell rang as if reading his mind, and he sighed. “See you in math. I’ve got English with _Clawthorne_ next. _Ugh_.”

Giggling, Judy waved bye to him, taking her own time to pack her belongings. Fru Fru bid her farewell before scurrying to get to her chemistry class for first dibs on seating. 

Two more periods passed until she was reunited with Ben in their university-level Calculus class. When she entered the room, her heart dropped– every seat around her best friend was filled with people who were eager to get to know the school’s favorite linebacker.

“Judy!” Ben yelled out, waving her to the seat diagonally in front of him. He’d placed his backpack in the seat, something she hadn’t noticed earlier (although she should have, considering his backpack was completely covered with buttons and pins from various concerts– especially Gazelle’s concerts). Smiling gratefully at him, Judy dropped her stack of textbooks onto the table, rightfully claiming the desk as her own.

For the next several minutes, she was pulled into the fuss surrounding Ben.

Brenda turned to her immediately, pointing at her. “I thought I saw you at the front desk of Sealmens!” She snapped her fingers, nodding her head vigorously. “How was that? Did you have fun taking messages and buying lunch for snobs?” The expression on the aardvark’s face was teasing.

“It was… fine,” Judy allowed, shrugging casually but eyes still bright and eager despite her half-hearted answer. “Definitely a good experience.”

“I’ll bet. You’ll be recruited right out of _high school_ graduation, Hopps,” McHorn’s voice boomed. “And here I am, just tryna get into the ZPD Summer High School Academy.”

Everybody else chimed in with their hopes and dreams as well, and how easy Judy had it. “ _Guys_ ,” she flushed, sinking into her seat. Laughter crowded her, and she found that she didn’t mind the joking at her expense if it meant everybody was happy.

That was the thing about high school. She’d watched movies in middle and elementary school, and the reoccurring trope was always the singularly popular group of kids. Everybody knew who they were, and everybody wanted to be them. So Judy had expected exactly that, walking in on the first day of her freshman year ready to fly under the radar, concerned only with making friends she loved and grades she loved.

But it turned out that no, high school was a lot more forgiving. Each clique had a member that every student had heard of, but nobody’s company was particularly sought after. So of the socialites, there was Fru Fru and Leodore. The athletes loved Clawhauser and McHorn. The carefree souls included Yax. And the delinquents, well, that was Nick and Duke.

Judy had found her way into the intellectuals group, her main competition for valedictorian being Bellwether, but there was an unspoken agreement that Judy was nicer and better-liked (“She’s just so… _conniving_. It always feels like she’s scheming something whenever I talk to her!” Fru Fru had once voiced). They all knew _of_ each other; sometimes they were even friends (as was the case for her and Ben and Fru Fru). But for the most part, each hierarchy functioned on its own and did its own thing. Not that each social structure didn’t fill its own stereotypes, like she would never expect Yax or Nick to walk into her college-level Calculus–

But the bell rang mid-thought, and sure enough, Nick Wilde did just that. Strolled in a second later, that is, looking as though he didn’t have a care in the world. 

He took a minute to survey the seating arrangement. His and Judy’s eyes met, but he looked away swiftly.

There was an empty seat right in front of the teacher, and Judy prayed that Nick would pick that seat, even though she knew it wasn’t conducive to cheating. But it wasn’t like a seat on the _edge_ was anymore conducive to cheating, either, since that was easier accessibility for the teacher, so why would he pick the seat behind her? And maybe, since the seat by the teacher was too _easy_ to get caught cheating, the teacher wouldn’t suspect him of cheating, and he knew that and would choose that seat and–

Right, ok, she was just confusing herself now. For now, she would focus all her strength on sending the signal that _no, you can’t sit by me_.

Of course, she was finding that the fox was just _so_ full of surprises, because he took the seat behind her. Next to Ben. Who looked at Judy from the corner of his eyes and grinned, waggling his eyebrows.

She ignored him, choosing instead to berate her narrow-mindedness. It was wrong of her to make assumptions about Nick when she didn’t even know him. Not to mention, from the way he carried himself in the cafeteria, he seemed a lot more mature than the rest of his friends. And anyways, this was university-level Calculus. He was obviously here for a reason. He must’ve been more than she’d thought he was, and she immediately felt ashamed of herself for labelling him as irresponsible and a cheater just because–

“Hey, Carrots, do you have a pencil I could borrow?”

He’d tapped on her shoulder, which wasn’t the problem. The problem was that he’d _pulled_ on her _ears_. He’d literally _tugged!_ on her _ears!_

Ok, fine, it was only one ear. But _really_? And what was with that nickname? “Carrots”? Slowly, she took a breath in and out once, withdrawing a pen from her school bag and handing it to him over her shoulder. She realized too late that it was her favorite carrot-recording pen and had half a mind to yank it back from him.

But alas, his grip tightened on the orange pen. “Thanks,” he whispered, the utensil sliding from her fingers as he took it. “I owe ya one. And don’t worry, I won’t cheat off you. It’s a little hard from behind anyways.”

Her nose twitched. She could tell he’d been smiling as he’d said that, and it made her want to bristle, but she contained her outrage. How had he read her like an open book? A wave of irritation washed over her, followed by guilt. 

_Give him a chance_. She was being unfair, and she knew it. So she laughed quietly at his joke, just a short and small _haha_. The rest of the class passed without any interruptions, and when the dismissal bell rang, Clawhauser waved goodbye to her as he headed to the field and she headed to the buses. 


	2. Chapter 2

A month and a half passed without disturbance, until one afternoon when the teacher called her and four other students up to the board to work out the daily exercises. Judy made her way to the board, Nick following just a few steps behind.

That wasn't the disturbance, though. The disturbance was when she was a quarter of the way through her problem– just like everybody else– and her eyes darted to Nick's work. She was only looking, wasn't really paying attention, except she did a double-take, balking at the fact that he was already three-quarters done with his own. He was hunched over, one hand in his pocket as the other scribbled furiously down a column of numbers.

His handwriting was fastidious, each digit and variable taking up an imaginary square on a grid. Nick straightened his back, ears pricking as he examined his work so far. Apparently, Judy had stared a second too long, because his green eyes met her purple ones. She jerked her head back around as she flushed, feeling the heat bloom over her face.

"You should check your division."

Two things happened at once: one of them being that a squeak of surprise tried to escape from her, and she'd barely managed to keep the noise to herself. The other being that she'd almost leapt straight through the ceiling in fear.

He was the last person she had expected to speak to her in this classroom after the pen incident (a pen which, by the way, he'd never returned), but now his voice was uncomfortably close. And gentle. And low.

"You've forgotten to switch the sign coming down. It'll screw up your fraction expansion, which'll screw up your graph." The entire time he'd murmured this to her, he hadn't cast a single glance at her or her work. In fact, he had gone back to crouching at the edge of the whiteboard to put the finishing touches on his graph. When he was done, he placed the dry erase marker in its original position, stepped back to check (or admire? Judy wasn't quite sure) his calculations one last time, and, finding it satisfactory, returned to his seat.

Blushing again, she scanned her computations. He was right– she'd reversed all the signs. A little embarrassed, she grabbed the eraser to meticulously scrub away the pluses and minuses to correct them. A minute or two later, she was done, following Nick's path to get to her seat. They were the first two done, and the only two not to have a single error in their exercises.

For the entire rest of the period, her mind was preoccupied with finding a way to properly thank him. Fortunately, the opportunity presented itself when she walked out to the bus stop and saw him walking down the same sidewalk, except with a smaller fox by his side, their hands linked and swinging. Nick was looking down at him with a doting smile on his face, nodding his head periodically.

Her heart fluttered a little just because the image was so adorable. Was that his little brother? Had the little fox with big ears walked to his big brother's high school all by himself so that he could see his beloved older sibling? Smiling to herself, Judy trailed after them, picking up her pace so that she wouldn't lose them.

They turned the corner. But when she followed and made it into the alley, she immediately began to cough at the smoke rising in the air. The smell of tobacco infiltrated her nose.

Both the fox's ears perked, and their heads jerked towards the intrusion. It was a funny scene: the shorter fox was almost on his toes and had his arms raised all the way into the air holding up a lighter, a cigarette dangling from his mouth which looked strangely out of place with the clearly elementary uniform (a costume, Judy guessed). Nick was leaned forward, tail-bone pressed against the wall behind him as he counted cash out in his paws and waited for the stick between his teeth to get lit.

Just as the lighter's flame disappeared, they both dropped their hands to their pockets and straightened their backs. Smoothly, Nick pulled his cigarette away from his mouth, dropping it to his side.

"Is that– are you– is that _weed?_ " Judy squeaked, indignant.

The red fox smiled lopsidedly at her, taking a small bag from his partner-in-crime with his paw that held the cigarette and handing the folded cash in exchange. "Thanks, buddy. See ya around." After a terse and mute nod, the fennec fox slinked away into the shadows. Judy heard a car backfire a minute later. Satisfied, Nick turned to face her.

"You're not allowed to have that on school grounds," Judy hissed, motioning to the space Finnick had just occupied, then back at Nick.

"You're right," Nick grinned, baring a fang. She noticed his uniform collar was undone. Of course it was. "Good thing we're not on school grounds, hm?"

He was right. She could only stare dumbfounded.

"What brings you to this part of town, rabbit?"

"Are you going to smoke that?" Her violet eyes darted nervously around their vicinity to make sure there was nobody around. It'd be bad if he was caught, but it'd be worse if _she_ was.

"Why? You want some?" The nerve! She wanted to wipe that smile off his face.

" _No!_ " Judy spluttered, clutching her binder closer to her chest. "That's not allowed!" She hissed, furrowing her eyebrows. "If you get caught, you'll be expelled!"

"Aaw," he cooed, taking another drag from his cigarette before tapping it so the ashes dropped from the butt. "Worried about my education? That's sweet of you. But don't worry, it's not for me, anyways. I just need the cash. I've only done drugs once. Same time I found out that, eh, I'm not really about that life."

"You can't _deal_ drugs, either!" Judy rebutted, foot tapping vigorously and nose twitching.

"Don't worry your cute little tail into a twist, sweetheart," Nick sighed, his smile fading as he raised an eyebrow.

"Don't call me cute," was her weak comeback. This time, he raised both his eyebrows, and then sighed again and shook his head.

"Here, I've got something for you." He beckoned her close and began digging into his pocket with his opposite paw.

Judy hesitated. He rolled his eyes at her apprehension. "I'm not gonna bite. It's your pen." Sure enough, he produced her favorite carrot pen from his pocket.

"Oh! Um, thank you." Softly, she stared at the pen in his grasp, which didn't have even a scuff on it. It was still in perfect condition. She felt bad for expecting so little from him. When she looked back up at him, he was staring at her calculatingly, and it made her nervous.

"Mmmhmm. Never really got a chance to give it back to you."

"I sit _right_ in _front_ of you," the rabbit scoffed disbelievingly, raising an eyebrow of her own.

The fox smiled and handed her the utensil, which she took gratefully. "So, why'd you follow me?"

She reddened from her toes to the tips of her ears. "I just wanted to say thanks. For, um, helping me in class earlier."

This seemed to surprise him, but the look of shock was fleeting before it slid into a smirk and he cocked his head to the side. "No problem." Her heart warmed, except then he opened his stupid mouth again. "Gotta be a good samaritan sometimes and help the dumb bunny out, y'know?"

She'd just been warming up to him, too. But now her mood dropped instantaneously. " _Excuse me?_ " She seethed.

He was laughing and leaning back so that his back met the wall, and he crossed his arms and legs. "I was surprised to see you in class. Most of the bunnies barely make it past the remedial math class."

"And you decided to just _lump_ me in with them," she practically spat, fist clenching at her side, stopping only when she heard her binder begin to squeak under pressure.

"Like the way you lumped me in with the rest of the foxes?"

Spluttering, she pressed her hand to her hip, feeling the pen poking against her side. "Yeah, well, _you_ happen to hang out with Duke Weaselton and the likes of them! _My_ opinion of you was _hardly_ unfounded!"

"But still unfounded, nevertheless." He yawned (she could see all his teeth, lined up and sharp, and repressed her shiver), rolling his shoulders and clearly losing interest in the conversation. After twisting to both sides and cracking his spine, he crouched down to meet her at eye level, hands on his knees. " _Look_ , sweetheart," he pointed at her with his cigarette. Judy flinched away from the glowing red tip. "Dumb bunny," then he tipped the cig back at himself, "Sly fox," Before placing the hand back on his knee, the embers of his stick falling to the ground from the impact. "That's the way the cookie crumbles."

"I'm going to be _valedictorian_ ," Judy hissed, scowling at him and refusing to be intimidated by his half-lidded eyes and smug face. "Of high school. _And_ college," she added resolutely.

" _Mhmmm_. And then what?"

Her breath caught.

Nick stood up and raised his eyebrows at her. "That's what I thought." Dropping his cigarette, he crushed the butt under the heel of his foot. "See ya tomorrow, Carrots."

She watched the red hot ashes fade to grey, and then swallowed past the lump in her throat.

—

In the short period of time from that interaction (one and a half weeks, to be specific), he'd become the bane of her existence. Every once in a while, he would flick or tweak or tug on one of her ears. Today, he blew into it, and she almost shrieked but just barely managed to pass it off as a violent coughing fit.

" _Stoppit,_ " She hissed, her ears falling flat as she scooted up to the edge of her chair. When she could still hear him chuckling, she physically dragged her entire desk up an inch or two and leaned forward until she was practically breathing down Flash's neck.

When she turned her head to glare daggers at him, he was smiling _that way_ at her, all lazy eyes and unbalanced mouth. And as much as she hated him, she knew why people thought he was so charming, so all she could do was twist back around, red in the face and steam blowing out her ears.

Her efforts to get away from him were in vain though, because a second later, his voice came floating past her, self-contented, teasing, and too close for comfort. "How d'ya think you did on the exam?"

Her heart stopped. The exam. _The exam!_

He must've seen her face whiten, cause there was a soft bark of laughter. She heard his chair creak as he settled back into it.

"I'll allow retakes just this once," The teacher sighed long-sufferingly before pointedly looking at a few students over the rim of her spectacles. Ben smiled sheepishly at Judy. "So take it if you need it. On a brighter note, the highest score was a 105–"

Judy beamed, ready to receive her just-desserts. She knew Bellwether had messed up the problem with the rate-changing volumes, so she could only get a 100, but she herself had felt confident about every question–

"Which goes to Nick Wilde. Congratulations Mr. Wilde, if you'd see me after class–"

The teacher's voice faded into background noise as Judy blinked owlishly. Then she turned abruptly to look at Nick, who was trying to contain his laughter and grinning at her like the cat that ate the canary. His shoulders were shaking minutely.

"Question three," he tutted, "You mixed up your signs again."

How could she have forgotten about that equation? She bristled. "You were looking at my paper? _From behind_?"

His eyes steeled at the accusation, and she realized she'd never seen him defensive. " _No_. I happened to see your work when I was handing my test in." There was a second pause before he continued, snippily, probably still affronted by her assumption. "You also messed up question seven."

When class was over, Ben compared his test to hers (he'd gotten a 76. "Well, I'm just glad I passed," he said with relief), then rushed off to practice, promising that he'd be free on Thursday. Judy stepped out of class and stood by the door, waiting for Nick to come out after his conversation with Ms. Pearl.

When he finally exited, she didn't waffle in asking, "Can I see your test?" While clutching her own in her hands. Her backpack leaned against the wall besides her legs.

Nick shrugged, handing it to her flippantly. Her gaze flitted back and forth across the sheet, marveling again at the almost robotic handwriting.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have really neat handwriting?" She murmured out loud, eyes still scanning the front page. When she looked up at the fox, he was looking at her like she'd grown another head. "What! You do!" Her defensive tone was instinctual. Nothing she'd said was weird, at least _she_ didn't think so.

Narrowing his eyes, he grabbed his test back from her. "I'm not done!" Judy protested, making a swipe for his work. He held her back with a paw between her ears, and she huffed in offense at being belittled in such a way.

"You're right." He mumbled somewhat morosely, looking concerned for some reason. "I've never noticed."

" _What_." Judy deadpanned. "How did you not notice?"

"Bigger fish to fry," was his apathetic rejoinder before handing the test back to her.

After another minute, Judy groaned. "I _knew_ I should've studied that more. I just didn't quite get it, but I…" She groaned again, this time louder and more dramatically. "It's my own fault. I didn't get it and just hoped she wouldn't include a question about it."

"What, differentials?" He raised an eyebrow at her and pulled a cigarette out of his front pocket, which Judy immediately gave the evil-eye. He seemed to notice her glare because he held up his paws in a surrendering motion, and then put it back in his pocket. "They're easy, Carrots."

She squared her jaw. If she admitted that she didn't get it, he'd call her a dumb bunny, and that was the last thing she wanted.

They walked in silence for a good few minutes, Judy debating what she should do when Nick finally sighed and placed a paw between her ears to turn them around and retrace their steps. Judy made an indignant noise, only to realize he was leading them to the library. His voice drifted from above her head. "If you need help, just ask for it."

When he said this, his voice was trained and almost… benign. The unfamiliarity of his unobtrusive tone made the bunny feel a little shy, and she found that she had nothing to say back to him. They sat down next to each other at one of the round tables, and when their knees knocked against each other, Judy snatched her own away, making herself as small as possible. Nick didn't seem to notice.

"What don't you get?"

"Um.. I just…" She launched into a detailed review of how the process didn't make sense to her. He _mhm_ -ed and _ah_ -ed in intervals, nodding his head slowly every so often as well. Halfway through, she realized that he was watching her intently, his eyes never wavering from her own. Heat crept into her face and the hairs on the back of her neck started to prickle, so she rushed through the rest of her explanation. When she was done, he deftly slipped the pencil she'd been holding out from between her fingers, pointing and scribbling and explaining what she was doing wrong. A breath she hadn't known she was holding escaped from between her lips.

After finishing, he leaned back into his seat, spinning the pencil amidst his fingers. "Make sense?"

Judy exhaled, blinking her wide eyes in obvious surprise. "Actually, um, yes. Wow."

Nick made a small noise of satisfaction, looking mildly pleased with himself before handing her pencil back to her and getting up to leave.

He'd already slung his bag over his shoulder and was about to take a step away when Judy burst out, " _Wait_ –" Her exclamation was a little overly-urgent, and she blushed when his ears pricked and he turned to look at her with raised eyebrows. "I just– thanks. I know you didn't have to. But that was… really… _nice_ of you." Her voice got smaller and smaller, until she was pretty sure he hadn't really heard the last half of what she'd said. Suddenly she was a little self-conscious, wondering if maybe she had accidentally given him a backhanded compliment.

Nick shrugged uncomfortably as his eyes darted away from her, clearly not used to such public displays of gratitude.

"We should… do this again," Judy suggested softly, rolling the pencil anxiously in her paws. "Not that I'm admitting I'm a dumb bunny, just that… you're not a dumb fox. That's all." Now _she_ was looking away nervously.

A smirk had grown on his face during the last portion of her little monologue. "Sure, Carrots."

Everything about her perked. Her eyes raised from the ground, her ears pointed to the sky, and her back straightened. She hadn't expected a positive reply from him. " _Really?_ " Even her voice was a little higher than usual and had been re-infused with its usual pep.

"Yupp." Upon hearing this, the bunny beamed, hands tightening around the straps of her backpack. "Who knows, might be fun. A tiny sophomore like you hanging out with a junior that might just eat her alive." His grin was toothy, verging uncomfortably into something almost predatory.

But Judy wasn't fazed, although her voice was a little timid when she retorted, "No. I don't… I don't think you would."

It was a small amount of trust, but the quick flash in his eyes made her think that it still made him uneasy. She wasn't given an opportunity to further analyze whatever had just happened however, because he'd begun making his way out, turning around only as he left the entrance to salute her with his pointer finger.

Her eyes followed his back as he exited. She briefly remembered the first day of classes, when Ben had cautioned her about her sophomore year. But Judy shook the thought off, chastising herself for being silly. It was just calculus and a fox, and none of that equated to craziness no matter how diligently anybody did the math.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your patience! :D I can't guarantee a pattern in updates, but I intend to see this fic to the end. Excited to go on this journey with everybody! :O
> 
> Also, I had to google Calculus for this chapter... because I can't remember anything from when I took BC Calc in high school... yeuch... I made sure to finish math early so that I wouldn't have to deal with it. I don't think I've done any serious calculating since my junior year of high school (I'm a junior in college now). I'm awful at math, but I do see the beauty in it.
> 
> As always, leave a review. Your guys' thoughts and opinions, reactions and kindness keep me inspired! :"))


	3. Chapter 3

“So… are we gonna meet after class?”

“What?”

She ignored the funny look on his face, diving straight into the question. “You know. Our study sessions! After class, in the library?”

Nick opened his mouth to retort, but seemed to think better of it because he snapped his jaw shut. After a moment in which he continued to stare at her funny, he spoke up. “What?”

_Ok. Maybe try a different tactic?_ “Y’know…” Judy motioned to her book bag, which was strapped securely to her back, as opposed to Nick’s, which was extremely loose and hanging from his shoulder. “We go to the room with a lot of books and–”

“I know what you’re saying, rabbit,” Nick snapped, scowling at her. “But that was _one time_. What makes you think I wanna do it again? I happen to like doing _enjoyable_ things after class.” Hastily, he clarified (in case she was an idiot), “which studying is _not_.”

“C’mon!” Judy cajoled, hopping a little in place. “Think of it as an opportunity to show me how much better than me you are.”

He smirked at her. “I like where this is going. Go on.”

“What about just today? Try out _one_ day.” Hesitating, Judy decided to go all in. “I mean, who knows, maybe you _aren’t_ smarter than me, and I don’t really need you. We’ll never know until we try.” Playing up the image of nonchalance, Judy shrugged. “But if you’re ok with me thinking you’re a dumb fox, then by all means, pass up this _awesome_ opportunity to prove me wrong.”

She turned around to leave, ready to bluff her way through the next interaction and pretend that she didn’t really care if he helped her out or not (oh, but she _really, really_ wanted it). Just as her feet took a skip forward, Nick conceded.

“Alright, sly bunny. Just today. A trial run, if you will.”

“A trial run,” she nodded in agreement, secretly elated but controlling her face so it looked neutral. 

A low growl– or maybe it was a purr?– emitted from Nick’s chest, and Judy’s ears pricked. He looked extremely satisfied when he whispered to her cunningly, “Prepare to be _schooled_.” 

Her response to his pun was to roll her eyes and groan. 

———

The next three days, she had to switch up whatever techniques she used to convince him to stay after school with her.

“My friends are going to notice,” Nick said as he rifled through the pages of his textbook. Judy noticed he always did this: sit aimlessly and flip the pages of his books without actually reading them.

“You should just bring your phone,” she suggested.

“Or I could just not come.”

“ _Nick_.”

“ _Carrots._ ” He responded in like before asking, “Why are we even doing this?”

His question caught her off-guard. It was an answer she hadn’t even fleshed out to herself yet, so she hesitated in answering. “I’m… I just thought you’d be helpful to me,” her reply was uncertain. He raised an eyebrow at her. “I can tell you’re good with numbers, so I figured having somebody check my blind spots would be nice.”

“Using me as a stepping stone, hm?”

“No!” She gasped. “Oh no, no, if it came off that way, I’m so sor–”

“Relax, rabbit, I’m just kidding. And I don’t care either way.” He certainly looked apathetic, the way his attention was divided between their conversation and the little checkered handkerchief he’d pulled out of his pant pocket. When he unfolded the cloth, a few blueberries rolled from the pile and settled in front of her. Nick reached forward and swept them back onto the handkerchief before popping a few into his mouth. Meeting Judy’s curious stare, he offered, “Blueberry?”

“Oh! Um… sure!” He tossed a berry to her, and it sailed in a neat arc before landing in her paws. 

When she sniffed it, Nick eyed her queerly. “It’s not poisoned, Hopps.”

“Oh, no! I’m, uh, checking to see, um, where it’s from.” _Oh god, that sounded weird even to_ me _,_ Judy groaned to herself. Now Nick _definitely_ would’t be back for these study sessions. 

As she expected, his puzzled expression evolved into one of appalled incredulity. “What?”

Judy allowed herself to chew and swallow before replying. Coughing awkwardly into her paw, she drummed her other fingers against the table. “I can tell when produce is from my family’s farm based on the smell.”

His entire body seemed to prick in alarm: his tail fluffed, his ears pricked, and his eyes widened. “ _What_.”

“Yeah, um, it’s the pesticides. My parents don’t use the kinds you spray on, but they plant Nighthowlers around the fields, so that’s the smell I’m use to. There’s a lot, so, um, I’m just really used to it.”

“You grew up on a _farm_?”

“… Yeah.”

“Why are you _here_ then? Shouldn’t you be in some hick town school?”

“ _Hey!_ ”

“I’m just sayin’, rabbit!” He lifted his paws from the table in a show of surrender.

Ruffled, Judy replied hotly, “Yeah, well, that’s why they moved me out here. For a better education.”

“Really?” Nick seemed genuinely intrigued.

“I mean, that and there was a, um,” her eyes flickered briefly to his claws, “A fox who bullied me quite a lot. I was ok, but I guess they just thought I might as well get a better education while also not getting terrorized.”

Nick’s posture had become very rigid when she’d mentioned what had bullied her. His voice was equally as stiff when he replied, “I’m sorry to hear that.”

Flustered, she gesticulated wildly. “No! No, it’s fine. I’m fine. And in fact, I’ve heard he’s fine now. Went through some counseling, I think. Last I heard, at least.”

“That’s… good,” Nick responded skeptically.

“Yeah! It is! It’s great!” Her voice was forcefully chipper, and Nick quirked a smile.

“Whatever you say,” he singsonged, turning his attention away from her and back to his book. He began the process of flicking through the pages, and Judy turned back to her workbook, feeling herself blushing just a little.

———

Her voice was shy when she asked him, “Where are you from, Nick?”

After she’d revealed a smidgeon of her past to him, she’d spent the rest of the day (yesterday _and_ today) curious about his own. Initially, she’d judged him by the crowd he hung out with, but now she wasn’t so sure who he was. 

He glanced up from his phone. “Nowhere you’d know.”

His impartial answer was disappointing, and she felt her heart sink. Even if she didn’t know, she _wanted_ to, but if he just dismissed her like that…

“Wow, don’t look so heartbroken,” Nick chortled. “If you’re _that_ curious, I’m from Dendale.”

“Dendale?”

“Eh, a slum at the edge of the city. Off the beaten path on the way to Sahara square. My parents like it warm.”

“Are you still there?” Judy pried. 

“Nah. After my dad got put in prison, we moved closer to the city so it’d be easier to visit him. But we’re still not that far from Dendale. The place we’re at now is still pretty slummy.” Suddenly, he smiled predatorily and added, “No place for a cute little bunny like you.”

But his smile didn’t distract from the blasé tone he’d used when he’d explained that his dad was in prison. Judy sat with her back ramrod straight, a little shell-shocked from all the information she’d just received. All she’d asked was where he was from. Now she knew his dad was in prison.

“Your dad…?”

The smile disappeared and the aloofness returned. He shrugged, turning back to his phone. “He was framed.”

“I’m… I’m sorry, Nick.”

He shrugged again. “No big deal. My dad’s a good guy, and prison’s treating him well. He’s the guards’ favorite. Actually, he’s everybody’s favorite. Everybody loves him. Everybody’s always loved him. He got framed for attacking an officer when all he’d done was raise his arms to stop them from hitting some raccoon, who, it turned out, _wasn’t_ that innocent, with like, 15–”

The bitterness in his words increased exponentially until he seemed to realize he was rambling, and immediately snapped his mouth shut. Chewing her bottom lip, Judy leaned forward to speak to him, timidly resting her paw against his arm. “Thanks for sharing this with me.”

The closeness of her voice and the warmth of her touch made Nick look up, and when he saw how concerned she looked, he eyed her strangely. His confused gaze made her flush, but she stubbornly left her paw there until Nick reached across, and her heart skipped a beat. But all he did was start flipping the pages in her textbook.

“What is this?” He ragged, shaking one of the pages. “You’ve still got 2 pages of the homework left, Carrots. Don’t tell me you’re slacking _now_.”

Judy was quiet, contemplating her next move. Finally, she settled with playing along with him, so she smiled back easily, snatching her pen out of his hand that he’d taken sneakily. “Well, if _someone_ would stop distracting me with tales of _grandeur_.”

The tension in his body seemed to leave immediately when she let go of the previous topic, and he barked a laugh. “Get over yourself,” he joked, shaking his head.

“I should be saying that to _you_.”

“Get over _this_?” He passed a paw over his torso. “ _Never_.”

Judy laughed. He smiled at her. And then they both returned to their respective tasks, basking in the silence between them that was somehow easy and even comfortable now.

When they called it quits for the day, they walked out to the roundabout before parting ways. As Nick pulled out his phone and stuck his paw into his pocket to begin his trek, Judy patted his elbow. He looked at her questioningly.

Her voice was coated in feathers but also deliberately casual. “Thanks, Nick. It means a lot to me that you trusted me with… stuff.”

She wished she could convey how much it’d meant to her– she was pretty sure they’d reached a milestone in that conversation. But Judy was beginning to understand Nick’s aversion to vulnerability, and kindly catered to it.

True to his distaste for “feelings,” Nick awkwardly waved off her sentiment. “Whatever, Carrots.”

She watched his back disappear from view, biting back her smile and trying to tamp down the joy that was bubbling inside her. 

———

After their conversation and after the weekend, he came to the library with a lot less convincing. In fact, Judy had had to ask the teacher a question after class on Monday, so she’d assumed Nick would’ve high-tailed it out of the building before she could catch him. But actually, as she’d turned into the hallway that led to the library entrance, Nick was waiting there for her. He was scrolling through his phone, leaning against the wall with one foot on the ground and the other on the wall. He looked up when he heard her footsteps.

“Took you long enough, rabbit. What were you doing, asking her to explain Whinestein’s Theory of Relativity?”

Judy shook her head. “I didn’t understand integrating.”

“Oh? And how about now?”

She looked at him sheepishly, head lowered a little in shame and smiling abashedly. “I still don’t get it. But I just told her I did because I didn’t want to bother her.”

Bobbing his head in understanding, Nick responded coolly, “Alright. Integrals it is, then.”

“Thanks,” Judy smiled, folding her arms across her shoulders so she was hugging herself. “I seriously appreciate it, Nick.”

But after an hour and a half of repeating the same thing over and over– Nick was surprisingly patient, although there were moments Judy could hear his exasperation seeping through– she still couldn’t get it. He never said a mean word, but when Judy groaned and pressed the heels of her paws into her eyes, he folded his arms and watched her in confusion.

“I don’t know why I can’t get this,” she murmured, sounding frazzled and bewildered herself. Looking dolefully up at Nick, she said, “This has never happened to me before.”

Her ears got hot, and Judy ducked her head, avoiding his gaze which she interpreted as critical. “Sorry,” she mumbled, intensely interested in her paws. Math wasn’t her forte, but it wasn’t like her to not understand something within a half hour.

“No worries,” Nick replied breezily, kicking his feet up. “We can take a break.”

“No!” Judy exclaimed crossly, startling Nick just a little. She blushed a little at her outburst, but she plowed on, adamant about learning the technique. “No. I _have_ to get this.”

Nick furrowed his eyebrows before straightening up and leaning towards her so that he was eye-to-eye with her. “You will, Carrots. But _you_ –” With two fingers, he gently grasped the end of her pencil that she was clutching, sliding it out of her vice-like grip. “– need a break.” Resting back, he cocked his head at her and raised an eyebrow, giving her a “ _you-know-I’m-right_ ” kind of look. 

“No,” Judy groaned, staring at the pencil he now twirled between his fingers. “The test is in two weeks, Nick.”

He squinted at her. “Are you _serious?_ Listen to yourself. _Two weeks_ , Hopps. You’re fine!”

She pressed her lips into a thin line, but said nothing. She didn’t expect him to understand.

Rolling his eyes, Nick stood up and snatched his backpack off the ground, slinging it over his shoulder. Then he stepped over to Judy, looming over her. 

“What are you doing?” Judy asked snippily, not budging from her seat.

Nick jerked his head towards the library entrance. “C’mon, Cottontail. We’re getting out of here.”

“ _Nick!_ I have to–”

“The only thing you _have_ to do right now is relax.” Nick raised his eyebrows at her. “Which I happen to be very good at. So come on.” After that, he turned tail and started making his way out.

She was sure he was bluffing, but when he traipsed out the room without looking back, she scrambled to pack her things and catch up. When Judy finally slipped out the exit, he was waiting for her around the corner, boredly examining his nails. Her heart quickened a little, grateful that he’d waited.

“Pick up the pace, rabbit,” Nick kicked off the wall when he saw her, already taking off again. “Didn’t your kind win the race against the turtle?”

“Ok, first? That was a _hare–_ ”

“Same difference,” Nick excused airily.

The sound she made was half-affronted, half-disbelieving laughter. “Second, the hare didn’t win.” Nick’s longer strides brought him out further ahead than Judy, so she hopped furiously up to him, ready to give him a piece of her mind. “And we are _not_ the same as hares!”

“He didn’t win?” He ignored her latter statement, looking genuinely surprised and frowning quizzically.

“No,” Judy snapped. “He got _lazy_ and _thought he had time_ so he stopped to sleep and _lost_. Sound familiar?”

“Nope,” Nick grinned widely at her, flashing his canines. 

Giving a closed mouth scream, Judy hopped in place a little, combing her paws through her ears. “You’re _infuriating!_ ”

“Interesting way to tell me I’m charming, sweetheart.”

“ _Ugh!_ ”

“Hush, bunny. We’re here.”

Judy jerked to a stop so that she didn’t run into Nick. “What is this?” Judy deadpanned, volume not changing at all. Nick glared at her. “A candy store?”

The pastel yellow signage read “Sweet Fang.” The shopfront was humble and unassuming: the brick wall was crumbling just a bit, but the glass windows were so clean, Judy wasn’t even sure there was a glass between her and the beautiful cake displays. The other window revealed hearty piles of different candies, brightly wrapped and beautifully packaged, varying in size and shape. 

It was… cute. But she was reluctant to admit it, especially because Judy wasn’t in the habit of ditching studying to go to _candy shops_. She made this known to Nick, glowering at him a little even if she was kind of excited about getting to see another part of his mysterious life. “You made me stop studying to bring me to a _candy shop?_ ”

“Not just any candy shop, Carrots,” Nick caroled, pushing the door open for her. She walked underneath his stretched arm, the tips of her ears brushing him just a little. “The best one in the city.”

The cashier in the front looked up from checking the register, smiling and announcing rather mechanically, as if she couldn’t even control it, “Welcome to Sweet Fang, where you’re sure to find every sweet thang.” Nick waved amicably at her, and the girl gave him a casual nod. Clearly the red panda recognized him.

Nick was right about the candy shop being the best. The outside had given no sign that it housed such a colorful and fun assortment of sweets, but upon entering, Judy was awed by the baskets and barrels filled with goods she’d never seen before. The front of the store carried the usual, standard chocolate bars and candies that she could find in any grocery store. But the back… the back was a paradise filled with new experiences. She was sure she’d strain her neck if she kept turning her head back and forth the way she was.

When Nick hummed pleasantly, Judy whipped her head back to look at him. He was examining a lollipop while he licked his chops, wrapper crinkling in his paw. Judy giggled and he looked at her. “What?”

“Your tongues blue,” She shot him a small smile, which he returned more widely. Her giggle turned into a snort– his back teeth were a faint shade of blue as well.

“It’s worth it. Wanna try?” He held out the sucker to her.

“What is it?”

“Blueberry cobbler. I’m partial.”

She laughed at his wording while delicately taking the sweet from his fingers. When she stuck it in her mouth, she made a noise of surprise and delight.

“Mhmm,” Nick nodded sagely, eyes half-lidded, eyebrows raised, and overall, just looking extremely pleased with himself. “Good isn’t it?”

Judy nodded vigorously, taking another bite.

Casually, Nick continued down the row of baskets. “And now that we’ve basically kissed – ” Judy choked, and Nick laughed hysterically. 

“You’re the worst!” She gasped and rasped through pained tears, thrusting the candy back at him.

“Aw, Judy, you should’ve seen your face,” Nick wheezed, leaning against one of the barrels while he wiped at the tears in his eyes. 

Judy blinked at him as he regained his composure. He refolded his collar and smoothed down his shirt before shaking out his fur just a little, grinning to himself. The grin dropped a little when he finally found Judy staring at him. Uncertainly, he examined himself, but found nothing off and looked at Judy. “What?”

Biting her lip, she tried to contain her smile. “That’s the first time you’ve used my first name.”

“Oh. Huh. I guess so.” Then he shrugged, turning away from her, completely unconcerned. “C’mon, rabbit. There’s a lot more where that came from. They’ve got stuff with carrots in the back.”

Maybe it wasn’t a big deal to him, but her insides were warm and her heart was beating in double-time. 

———

Her schedule regulated itself the next few days, until Thursday when Ben had had to take lunch during a different period because he needed to practice, and Fru Fru was at her student council luncheon. Left to her own devices, Judy decided to lay out under the trees, enjoying the weather. She’d been a quarter of the way into her salad, fork in one paw and pencil in the other to get a head start on her physics homework, when a familiar set of black feet intruded in the periphery of her sight.

“I’ve got a solution.”

She sat up, crossed her legs, and looked at Nick expectantly. He looked… excited. Just a little. And it made her smile a little. “Excuse me?”

“To your integrating issues.”

Her smile grew, and she brushed a paw through her ears, beaming up at him. “Oh yeah? What’s your solution, slick?”

“I was talking to my boys about you–”

“ _Aaaw_ ,” she crooned, folding her paws over her heart. “Nick! That’s so nice!”

He glowered at her. “Not what I meant, sweetheart.” Then he sat down across from her, crossing his legs at his ankles and putting his weight into his hands as he rested back on them.

“What do they think of me?” She teased. “Am I good enough?”

Rolling his eyes, he chose to ignore her. “I was talking to them about how you couldn’t get integration, and when I tried to explain it to them, they said I was being too technical.”

“They know how to integrate?” Judy asked, surprised. When Nick narrowed his eyes at her, she realized her mistake. “Oh god, I’m so sorry, that’s not what I meant– or, I mean, wait… I guess it was? Oh no. I’m so awful. I’m so sorry.” She blustered through her hacked up apology, eyes panicked as she tried to save herself, completely oblivious to the way Nick had relaxed and was now smiling lazily at her.

“You good, rabbit?”

Judy flushed and mumbled something under her breath. Then, inhaling deeply and straightening her posture, she looked him dead in the eye, voice wavering just a little with embarrassment. “So, what’s the verdict?”

He laughed. “You Judge Judy now?”

“Oh, shut up,” She rolled her eyes. “Well?”

“I’m going to walk you through it like you’re a 3rd grader.”

Judy bristled. “I’m not _stupid_.”

Lifting his shoulders, he looked at her unapologetically. “I didn’t say they were.” 

Judy widened her eyes and then began to sputter. Nick chuckled at her antics. Finally, she managed a coherent sentence. “How do you even know it’ll work?!”

“Eh, it always works. At least with the guys.”

That got her attention. “Huh?”

“I tutor ‘em.”

Her eyes, wide already, grew twice in size. They were like purple dinner plates– it was quite the image, and Nick struggled not to burst into laughter. “You… do?”

“Yupp.” He picked one of the tomatoes from her salad, popping it into his mouth. 

“Nick!”

“Rabbit!” He echoed, but not paying attention. He was surveying her tray, looking for more eats to filch from her.

Swatting away his wandering paw, she huffed. “You never told me!”

“Never came up,” He said through a mouth full of leaves. Her fork was in his paw, and she had to decide if she wanted to lecture him about keeping things from her or taking things from her.

Nick wasn’t even paying attention to her, though. So she decided to just drop the monologue that was writing itself in her head and ask instead, “Am I a burden?”

“ _Ha!_ Rabbit, _what_ a question to ask. How long do I have to write the essay?”

“ _Nick!_ ”

Sighing, he returned her silverware to her tray, expression not as playful as he brushed his hands together. “No, Judy. You’re not.”

Relief washed through her, and her heart skipping a beat at the use of her real name. “When do you tutor the guys?”

“During lunch.”

“ _What are you doing here then?!_ ” She practically screeched. Nick’s ears flattened at her pitch.

“They didn’t need help today.” He shrugged. That seemed to calm her down.

“So you came to me instead,” Judy commented suggestively, smiling slyly. Nick raised an eyebrow at her.

“What’s it to ya?”

She clicked her pen a few times, before pointing the tip at him and grinning like she knew his deepest, darkest secret. “Do you _like_ me, Nick?” Judy began to singsong, waving her pen in the air. Now both of Nick’s eyebrows were raised. “Are we _friends_ now?” Her voice had grown in volume, but for her finishing sentence, she leaned in, wiggled her own brows, and murmured lowly, “Do you actually _enjoy_ hanging out with me now?”

He laughed, pushing her out of his face. “You’re crazy, rabbit.”

Ignoring his jab, she let her curiosity get the best of her. “What do the guys think?”

Despite the crooked smile on his face, he squinted at her with furrowed brows. “Why do you care so much what they think?”

Shrugging, Judy didn’t meet his eyes. “I don’t want them to think I’m making you use your time for me instead of them.”

“Nah. They’re cool. They think you’re… interesting.”

“Oh?”

It was his turn to shrug uncomfortably. She swore she saw some red creeping into his face, but it was hard to tell if he was actually blushing, or if his fur was just falling in a different direction. “Well, you’re a rabbit.”

“Astute observation,” Judy remarked dryly. 

Nick shot her the evil-eye. “Wasn’t finished, sweetheart. _As I was saying_ , you’re a rabbit, I’m a fox. We spend an inordinate amount of time together. They’re, uh, extremely interested in the… mechanics… of how a… _physica_ l relationship would… _fit_.” His word choice was very deliberate.

“ _OOOOOH-KAY!_ ” Judy said loudly, clapping her paws together multiple times while her heart beat ferociously and she had no idea why, other than mortification. “Enough of that. I don’t want to think about that. Let’s move on.”

But they were both quiet, both avoiding each other’s eyes, and both– even Nick, very clearly this time– were redder than the tomatoes in Judy’s salad.

Nick finally broke the tension by getting up stiffly and brushing himself off. “Yeah, well. Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of their dirty minds. We, uh, still up for meeting after class?”

Judy gulped, trying to swallow her saliva and also the embarrassment clouding the both of them. “‘Course! Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Nick looked at her pitifully, shaking his head slowly while he smirked at her. “You lead a sad, sad life, rabbit.”

Judy snickered. “Can’t be _that_ sad if you’re still here.”

He laughed as he walked away, throwing a paw in the air to say goodbye.


	4. Chapter 4

She was cute, he’d give her that. Her feet were swinging– he knew because she kept accidentally kicking him and then apologizing fervently while he laughed at her for being so small– and she was worrying her bottom lip, occasionally switching over to chewing on her pencil, only to realize how bad of a habit that must’ve been and stopping. 

Yeah. Definitely cute.

Maybe that was why he had such a difficult time leaving her alone. Something about the way her nose twitched when somebody worked her up into a state of emotional frenzy, or how her foot would tap rapidly against the ground when she was impatient, all of it was enticing in some way. He wondered if it was some primal instinct in him to make the prey nervous, or if he really _did_ just think it was endearing to watch her get huffy.

Whatever it was, it was the reason why he couldn’t help blowing in or tweaking one of her ears every so often.

Not today, though. Judy was sitting across from him, tapping the eraser of her pencil against her bottom lip, eyebrows furrowed as she contemplated her physics assignment. A few weeks ago, _this_ wouldn’t have existed– him sitting across from her, “monitoring” her studying. In fact, when she’d asked him that second time, he’d agreed reluctantly. Sure, the first time she’d asked (immediately after their very first session), he’d humored her and said yes, but he hadn’t expected her to _actually_ come running back to him. 

She must have felt him staring, because she glanced up at him– his eyes immediately darted back to the book in his paws, pretending that he’d been reading all along– before her curious gaze meandered towards the novel.

———

“Is that for Ausden’s class?”

“Mhm,” he responded absent-mindedly, flipping a page of _Goathello_.

“What period do you have her?”

“Second.”

“Ah.” Judy fiddled with her pencil for a second before trying to fill the pause. “I’m not a big fan of Shakesbeare, if I’m honest.”

“Hm,” was his reply, his attention clearly not on their conversation. Judy smiled at him anyways, biting her bottom lip in amusement. A few minutes after turning her attention back to her work, Nick snapped the book shut. “Interesting,” he said rather matter-of-factly. 

Judy’s ears pricked, and she tilted her head, waiting expectantly for an explanation. 

“Why not?” He asked, placing the book down and folding his arms as he leaned onto the back two legs of his seat, crossing his own legs on top of the table. 

It took Judy a second to register what he was referring to, but when she did, she shrugged. “Well, I mean, there’s nothing actually wrong with Shakesbeare. I just can’t get into his stuff.”

“Fair enough. I’m not a big fan of Dickhens.”

At his comment, a light seemed to go off in Judy’s eyes. Nick quirked a smile. “How many uni-level classes are you taking, Nick?”

He made a noncommittal noise, lifting his shoulders and grinning wolfishly when she glared at him. “What’s it to you?”

At his non-confrontational reply, her cheeks reddened, embarrassed for her snooping. “Just curious,” she mumbled, casting her eyes back to her homework. If Nick didn’t want to answer, she didn’t want to push him.

He, however, was too busy noticing her chewing her bottom lip, eyebrows furrowed in severe concentration and calculation. “Stuck, Carrots?”

She heaved a sigh and dropped her head into the palms of her paws. “I hate physics so much.”

“Let me see.” Nick glanced in both directions before leaping (rather elegantly) across the table, landing in the seat beside her. Judy stared at him with wide eyes and mouth slightly ajar as he leaned into her space and turned the paper so that he could review it. “Wow, you’ve really messed this up. First integration, now fluid mechanics?” He clicked his tongue. “How’re you in the running for valedictorian?” 

“ _Hey!_ ”

Shrugging and smirking, he took her pencil from her, flipping it through his fingers deftly. “Just sayin’. Look, if you do this–”

But instead of looking on with him, she leaned back, folded her arms, and narrowed her eyes at the fox as though she was inspecting him. “Just what are you playing at, Wilde?”

His ears pricked and he cocked his head, looking the picture of innocence. Judy knew it was a front. 

“Don’t look at me like that.” She said, pressing her face right up to his, staring into his eyes. Nick grimaced, his own eyes wide and surprised as he sat up straight, maintaining some distance between them. “First math, then english, now physics? What’s going on, Nick? Is there something you’re not telling me?” Her voice went low, and she asked in all seriousness, “Are you… valedictorian of _your_ class?”

He busted out laughing and didn’t stop until his laughter had turned silent because he was completely out of breath. At first she watched with irritation, but then began to smile as he shook uncontrollably, eventually joining in his raucous laughter with her own giggles.

The librarian passed by to shush them, and they were forced to muffle their snorts. Finally, Nick breathed into an easy smirk. “Don’t worry, Hopps. I only do enough to get passing grades.”

Her ears perked, and she peered at him questioningly. “Oh? Why?”

The fox seemed to stiffen with discomfort for a second, but his habitual poker-face returned, and Judy wondered if she’d maybe imagined any sort of unease earlier. “The world’s not ready,” Nick joked, smiling a little blandly.

She wasn’t having any of it. Earlier, she’d conceded, giving him his privacy. But this time, she’d seen the moment where he’d contemplated being honest with her. Pushing for more, she leaned into him, eyebrows knit as she peered at him with care and concern. “Nick, you can tell me. I’m not gonna judge you.”

Her voice was like butter, yielding and smooth, and he cringed. His voice was significantly less patient than her’s when he replied, “Let’s not, fluff.”

“Nick,” she said resolutely. “It can’t be _that_ bad.”

Growling a little, Nick clenched his jaw. “I’m a fox,” A moments hesitation, then, “What else is there to say?”

Judy pulled away, blinking cluelessly. “What does that have to do with anything?”

Nick narrowed his eyes, mouth opening in disbelief. “Are you serious, rabbit? I’m a _fox_. Shifty? Shady? You wanna hash out what you were thinking the first time we met?”

She flushed in shame. “I’m not saying you’re wrong,” Judy replied practically. She figured if she stayed composed, the conversation couldn’t turn ugly. After all, they weren’t fighting, they were just having a discussion… right? “But why would that stop you from getting good grades? Or trying to, at least?”

“That’s not the _point_.”

“Ok…” But she didn’t understand, judging by the look in her eyes and the way her voice trailed off, as if expecting him to explain.

He obliged, exasperation seeming to fill every cell of his body. “Look, the thing is, I can try as hard as I want. I can graduate valedictorian. But as soon as I apply to jobs and they see that I’m a fox? I’m sidelined. Nobody’s interested in _trouble_.” He enunciated the last word like it was a curse.

“Right,” Judy nodded eagerly, sitting up straight. “That’s why you get good grades! To show them–”

“ _Right_ ,” Nick echoed, but his voice was harsh and sarcastic. “Because nobody’s going to think I cheated to get those grades–”

“But you didn’t!”

“They don’t know that.”

“But they’d believe you–”

“ _Why?_ ” Nick interrupted, frustrated. “Why would they believe me?”

She was shaking a little, but she pressed on. “Because I _know_ you. You wouldn’t do that, and I know you’re not bad–”

“That’s not what you thought the first time you met me,” he responded a little coldly.

“Can you _stop_?” Judy cried out, clenching her paws. “What we thought about each other the first time we met doesn’t matter, it’s about _now–_ ”

Nick gave a bark of laughter, eyes incredulous. “You’re kidding me,” he jeered. “You’re joking, right?”

“Nick,” Judy groaned, passing her paws over her face. “Can you please just _listen_ to me? You’re going to have more opportunities if you get good grades, shouldn’t you at least _try_?”

“I’m listening to you,” Nick said through his teeth. “You’re the one that’s not listening. Getting good grades has nothing to do with it because nobody sees past that I’m a fox. And if working hard is going to land me in the same ditch that not trying is going to put me in, tell me which one _you’d_ choose?”

She bristled. “You act like you know everything! You can’t just _know_ how people are gonna judge you, Nick. You have to trust them a little more–” She jumped, squeaking in fright. Nick had gotten out of his seat and pushed it against the table with a little more force than necessary. The sudden noise reverberated through the library. Every head lifted and turned, watching the intrusion.

“ _Trust_ them?” He hissed this like it was the most unbelievable thing she could ask him to do. “We’re done,” he said, eyes flashing. “I’m not gonna sit here and listen to you talk about something you have _no_ idea about.” Picking up his book bag, he backed away. “And there’s no point trying to explain it to someone who’s so trapped in their happy little world that they can’t wrap their head around the idea that _maybe_ the world _isn’t_ fair.” 

Judy could barely get a word in before Nick was out the door. She swallowed, and it felt like she’d eaten glass. How had that gone so wrong? Trying to shake off the guilt gnawing at her insides, she stared at her homework, telling herself that Nick had just overreacted, and then willing herself to focus at the task at hand. 

But focussing was proving to be impossible, because the image of Nick’s face in those last few seconds wouldn’t leave her mind. His words had been angry and unforgiving, but she’d seen his face, and half her heart had split into pieces. 

The other half, however, couldn’t help but to wonder what had damaged him so badly that even _he_ – the _master_ of controlling what he showed other people– couldn’t keep the hurt from slipping through.

———

Things were awkward, and that was an understatement. 

Nick wasn’t ignoring her, but that was worse than having him just give her the cold-shoulder because it meant she wasn’t important enough to have the effort of anger expended _on_ her. When she started a conversation, he was pleasant enough, but never as invested as he used to be. He hadn’t laid a finger on her head for the past few days, either, and he made no passing remarks on her calculations on the whiteboard, even when she deliberately made a mistake just in the hopes he would correct her.

In an attempt to combat this indifference, Judy tried several different tactics, including (but not limited to):

Asking about “House of Curs.” Specifically, asking what he thought about last night’s episode, about how he felt when “that one thing” had happened, about _anything_ , like his opinion on Kevin Species’ tie in that one scene, or even the color of the damn carpet in that other scene.

Asking what he got on the exam.

Methodically dropping her pencil by his desk so that he’d have to pick it up to give to her.

Having Ben casually mention something that Nick would be interested in.

But none of these yielded any results. And even though Judy was nothing if not a try-er, she found herself losing hope and wondering if maybe she should stop trying. It occurred to the sad bunny that she may have ruined their friendship beyond repair… and while that may not have bothered her a month and a half ago, not being friends with Nick Wilde was suddenly unfathomable.

“Hey,”

Judy stilled, heart suddenly pounding. The teacher’s voice faded into the background as Nick’s jumped in.

“I can’t see.”

Her ears drooped.

“… Thanks.”

_Oh_. She hadn’t even realized he’d meant that her ears had blocked his view. All she’d registered was that Nick had actually initiated conversation with her, only to have it be something completely unimportant. Judy could feel Ben’s worried gaze boring into her, but she chose to ignore the cheetah.

That is, until he finally spoke up on their way to the cafeteria on Monday. “You’ve been down since Friday, Judy. Something wrong?” Buttery, soft eyes peered closer at her. “Trouble with the fox?

“No!” Judy replied hastily. Something about the words “fox” and “trouble” in the same sentence made her uneasy now. Nick wasn’t trouble. He wasn’t trouble at all. And that was… that was the problem, wasn’t it? It was a problem because it _wasn’t_ a problem, but she’d certainly thought it would be a problem when she first met him, but it _wasn’t_ and oh god she was confusing herself. “No, it's nothing. I’m just not getting enough sleep.” That wasn’t a complete lie, but she still couldn’t meet Ben’s eyes.

He looked at her skeptically. “Uhuh, ok. I'm sure _sleep_ has completely left you.” The way he said “sleep” made it clear that he meant something else entirely, but Judy didn’t catch on, too engrossed in her own thoughts.

“Yeah,” she responded absent-mindedly instead, staring at the floor tiling, mind occupied with planning her next encounter with Nick.

Sighing, Ben stopped in front of the double doors. Judy bumped right into him. “Sweetheart, you can’t ignore me forever. I’ve gotta get to my meeting with the coach, but we’re meeting after class tomorrow, ok? There’s this place I wanna check out anyways, and Jack isn’t free, so you’re my next best option.” He didn’t wait for Judy to agree, just flounced off, leaving the bunny to eat his dust.

_Jack_ , Judy reminded herself, eyebrows creasing. _That’s right_. In her sorry state, she’d completely forgotten about Ben’s new boyfriend, who was the reason why instead of her and the cheetahs’ weekly meetings, Ben was off exploring new places and Judy was hanging out with someone who was making her head and heart hurt. 

She sighed heavily, letting the rush of students maneuver her into the dining hall. Fru Fru was waiting dutifully at their usual table, already munching on an apple.

“You look awful, Juju,” the shrew commented without pause when Judy came into her line of sight. 

Judy shot a dry look at the small animal. “ _Thanks_.”

“No problem,” Fru Fru smiled, placing the core of her apple down. “What’s wrong?”

Sighing, Judy began her spiel again. “It’s nothing. Just tired.”

“Is it Nick?” Fru Fru asked, looking at the rabbit sympathetically.

“Wha- how did _you_ know?”

“Oh _please_ , Judy. I’m small, not _blind_. How was I _not_ going to notice you canoodling with a _fox_ after class everyday? Not to mention, he’s that one fox _everybody_ knows.”

“ _Canoodling!_ ” Judy spluttered in reaction, searching for an excuse. 

Fru Fru interrupted her pathetic scrambling. “Don’t even try. Just tell me what happened.” Her tone left no room for excuses or bashfulness.

So Judy launched into an explanation, detailing every emotion she’d felt as well as every reason for her regret. “I’m an idiot, Fru Fru!” Judy hissed vehemently, practically slamming her paw against the table. “I mean, how would _I_ know how he felt? _I’m_ not a fox! I’m not _him_! I don’t even know why I said those things! Oh _wait_ , I _do_! I said them cause I’m an _idiot!_ ”

“Oh _Judy_ ,” the little shrew lamented, combing back a strand of dark hair that had fallen out of her perfect coif. She watched her friend dolefully. “When did you move to Zootopia again?”

Despite being a little taken aback by the sudden change in topic, Judy answered promptly. “The summer before sixth grade. My parents thought I’d get a better education in the city.” She’d moved in with her aunt, who had looked after her niece dutifully throughout the kit’s middle school semesters. But when Judy started high school, Mrs. Hopp’s sister had gotten a job opportunity in Sahara Square, and so Judy was left to her own devices. Her aunt would check on her about once a month, but otherwise, the sophomore was on her own.

Fru Fru let out a weighty and prolonged sigh. “Look, Juju. I’ve grown up in the Central school system my entire life. Daddy thought the same thing as yours, that I’d get a better education here than in Tundratown. But that’s not the point.” She looked expectantly at Judy.

“O… kay?” Judy responded uncertainly.

“The point is, I’ve known Nick since elementary school.” Purple eyes widened and Fru Fru continued. “Did you know he used to be a really sweet kid? Like, _really_ sweet. All the teachers loved him. He was that stupid suck-up who brought apples for faculty and shared his lunch with whoever wanted it. Nobody bullied him for lunch money because he would’ve given it willingly. We all wanted to hate him, but… we couldn’t. Everybody _loved_ him. 

Then in fifth grade, he joined the Junior Ranger Scouts. Perfect, right? Makes total sense. Nobody had a problem with it. And honestly, if those kids had been anyone from these schools, it would’ve been fine. But he joined the scouts from some area close to his house, and you _know_ what it’s like for foxes out there. He barely knew any of those kids. Like, I’m pretty sure he only saw them in passing at the grocery store with his mom or something. 

Anyways, I was like, ten, so I barely understood what my parents were saying, but I got the idea that some backwards prey had told their kids not to let him in because he was ‘dangerous.’” Fru Fru narrowed her eyes in disbelief as she made air-quotes. “So they muzzled him at the initiation ceremony.”

When she was done with the story, Fru Fru folded her arms and leaned back, carefully waiting for her friend’s reaction. Judy’s eyes were huge and glassy, and her bottom lip was trembling dangerously. When she finally spoke, her voice was so small that it was practically nonexistent in the cacophony of the cafeteria. “Oh god, Fru. I’m the _worst_.”

“Maybe not the worst, but you did mess up. But now you know! And honestly, I don’t think it’s anything that can’t be fixed with a sincere apology.”

But Judy didn’t seem to hear; her palms were pressed into her eyes, and she was shaking her head. When she spoke, her voice was muffled and strained. “Did you know his dad is in prison?”

Fru Fru’s eyes widened. “What?”

“Yeah. He was framed.” When Judy’s friend didn’t reply, she continued with her train of thought. “When Nick told me, I knew it was cause he was a fox. I know what mammals think about them, but I… I couldn’t see it actually happening, you know? It seemed like one of those things that happened to _other_ mammals, but nobody _I_ would know.”

“I had no idea,” Fru Fru said quietly, falling into silence with Judy. When the bell rang, she left without the bunny, giving her space.

And Judy needed that space. Space to breathe, space to cry a little into her hands, and space to understand what an _idiot_ she was.


	5. Chapter 5

Judy took her time mulling over what she’d learned from the shrew, and as a result, her interactions with Nick over the next week became robotic and awkward. Suddenly, she couldn’t look him in the eye when he passed his homework up to her. In fact, she could barely utter a word to him. So in response to her newfound discomfort, she settled for not speaking to him unless he spoke to her. Needless to say, they didn’t do much talking.

This went swimmingly for the next few days, up until her teacher announced a pop quiz. The class groaned collectively, exchanging sighs and grumbles but obediently stowing away books and notes. For the next 45 minutes, the room was filled with just the sound of rushed scribbling and enthusiastic erasing.

Judy tapped her pencil against her pop quiz, coming back to problem two after skipping it. It was some awful equation that included integrating something she couldn’t figure out.

Speaking of integrating…

Could she really just say sorry to Nick? It seemed like such a small, insignificant word in light of how she’d treated him. Her own self-righteousness had blinded her to the veracity of what he’d been saying– she really _didn’t_ understand. But all she’d cared about at the time was pushing Nick to _try._ She hadn’t tried to understand because she hadn’t cared, had thought it was unimportant.

She was an idiot.

With a soft sigh to herself, Judy kicked her legs in a moment of impatience. From the corner of her eye, she noticed a sheet of paper slip out from under her seat, probably aggravated by Judy’s kicking. The teacher also happened to be passing by, and then something in Judy seized up, because she just _knew_ where this was going, and nothing she could do was going to stop it.

“What’s this?” Ms. Pearl bent down, picking up the stray leaf of paper. The sea lion’s brow furrowed. “Notes, Ms. Hopps? I thought I told everybody to put those away.”

But as her eyes roved down the paper, the crease in her eyebrows deepened. “That’s not mine–” Judy tried to say, but she could barely get the words past her heart, which seemed to be pounding in her throat.

Ms. Pearl’s mouth thinned. “I’ll see you after class, Judy. For now, take your things with you outside and take a look at the consequences of cheating in the school handbook.” Judy’s mouth opened to plea with her teacher, but the action only made Ms. Pearl sigh and say sharply, “Now, Ms. Hopps.”

Face red, the rabbit did as she was told, grabbing her bag and trudging out the door. God, this just wasn’t her week, was it? Her back hit the wall with a _thump_ , and she slid to the ground, laying her head on her bent knees. 

The bell rang 15 minutes later. She hadn’t looked at the section about cheating in their school planner, simply because she knew the rules like the back of her paw. She was probably going to get written up, and then it would show up on her transcript, and then no college would want her and she’d be stuck in Bunnyburrow for the rest of her life, selling carrots and juicing oranges.

As students filed out of the room, nobody spared her a glance. Finally, Ben came out, looking for Judy with wide eyes. 

“Hey,” she waved a paw. Ben sighed in relief, pulling her into a tight hug. He lifted her clear off the floor.

“Oh, _Judy_ , I’m so sorry. Everybody but Pearl knows you didn’t do it.”

Judy smiled weakly as Ben set her back on her feet. “It’s… fine.”

“You don’t believe that,” Ben scolded. “You’ve got to set her straight, Juju!”

“I don’t have any _proof_ , Ben! I saw some of it before Pearl picked it up. It even _looks_ like my handwriting.” Her voice was dejected, as if she’d resigned herself to her fate.

Haughtily, Ben commented, “If you want my opinion, this whole thing _reeks_ of Bellwether. She can’t stand that you’ve got a higher GPA than her.” 

“I don’t doubt it,” Judy sighed. “But until I’ve got evidence…”

“Come in, Judy,” Ms. Pearl’s voice rang out like a death sentence. Judy paled, looking up at Ben desperately. He grimaced at her.

“Want me to wait for you? We can go back to that ice cream shop we checked out last time.”

The offer was tempting– that carrot cake scoop had been _delicious_. But no, she wasn’t going to keep Ben waiting. And anyways, she recalled the cheetah mentioning that he was supposed to meet with Jack today.

Shaking her head, she smiled gratefully at her best friend. “No, I’ll be fine on my own. Thanks, though.”

“Aw, ok. Well, call me if you need anything.”

“Mhm.” There was a brief pause before Judy dived in for a hug, sighing and sinking into her warm, feline companion. “I love you, Ben. You’re a good friend.”

“Love you, too, Judy.” He squeezed her back, then pushed her through the door. “Good luck!” He whispered, pulling a face. Judy giggled.

She immediately became somber as she turned to greet her teacher, but only because Nick was standing at the desk as well. What was he doing here? He couldn’t have been cheating, she knew that about him now. And he wouldn’t have framed her, he just wouldn’t, she knew– but just the _thought_ of it was so awful that she felt as though her body had been plunged into the river going through Tundra Town.

Walking slowly up to Ms. Pearl’s desk, Judy tried not to make eye contact with Nick, who was as at ease as usual. 

“I was originally going to write you up, Ms. Hopps,” the sea lion peered over her glasses at Judy, who swallowed. “But I’ve been told that these answers aren’t yours… despite the likeness in penmanship.” Her last few words were riddled with skepticism.

Judy hastened to make her case. “I know, and I don’t have any proof that it’s not me, Ms. Pearl. But I really don’t know how I would get my paws on the answer key! I wouldn’t do that, and I’ve been studying for this– I mean, why would I study if I was just going to get the answer key?” In a fit of boldness, she blurted, “Nick knows!” His ears pricked as he was addressed. “He knows that all I do after class is study.”

“Right.” He said promptly.

She was breathing a little quickly, but hearing him agree with her eased her heart just a little.

Ms. Pearl looked amused. “That’s all very nice, Ms. Hopps. Very nice, but very unnecessary.” Judy’s heart sunk. “Nick here has already told me who the culprit is.”

Perking up, Judy glanced at Nick, who was staring boredly at the wall behind their teacher. 

“I called you in to tell you that you wouldn’t be apprehended. You’re free to go, Ms. Hopps.”

“Thank you,” Judy croaked, so relieved that she couldn’t find her own voice. Before she left though, she asked, “May I… know who it was?”

The look on the sea lion’s face told Judy everything she needed to know. “We all know who it is, don’t we? Once Nick told me what happened, I wasn’t surprised.” Her teacher replied, smiling a little dryly. “Don’t worry, Judy. If you’d like to take a new quiz, you can come in Friday morning.”

“Thank you,” the bunny repeated. “Thank you so, so, _so_ much.” Ms. Pearl gave her a small smile, nodding her head and shooing the two of them away.

They left side-by-side, Judy holding her breath. She didn’t want to say anything in front of the teacher, so she’d wait until–

As soon as the door clicked shut, he was off, turning the corner. Judy hadn’t even had a half a second to spit a syllable out.

Her ears wilted. If her heart kept dropping like this, she was gonna need a donor.

———

Apparently, it was ok if Nick was icing out Judy, but if Judy did it to him, it wasn’t gonna fly. 

After the whole Bellwether debacle, Judy had busied herself with avoiding Nick (she hadn’t been _actively_ avoiding him before). She’d taken to sitting in the seat in front of the teacher– her excuse was that it was away from Bellwether– and then loitering around Ben’s desk after the bell rang, waiting for everybody to exit before both of them left. 

She wasn’t angry at him for completely disregarding her. Just… confused. On one hand, she’d thought he’d hated her and absolutely did _not_ want to be her friend. But then he’d gone and saved her tail. So what was she _supposed_ to think? And Nick wasn’t speaking to her, so if the whole point was to confuse her, well, he’d succeeded. And now she didn’t want to add that to her list of things to stress about, so she’d decided to just… forget everything that had happened. Which made her realize that a _lot_ had happened. 

And having to brush all of that off dug a hole in her heart, but Judy had resolutely told herself that it was for her own good. She wasn’t going to make herself juggle all her schoolwork and commitments on top of a fox who she felt was toying with her emotions. Everything would go back to how it use to be, and that was _good_.

She repeated this mantra to herself through the week. Friday came and she sat in her usual cafeteria seat, head resting in her paw as she poked at the carrot pot pie on her tray, trying to convince herself that she was doing the right thing.

Judging by the way Nick slipped out of his troop to confront her, he disagreed. 

Stepping up to Judy’s booth, he folded his arms. She wasn’t facing him, just staring blankly at her tray, looking desolate. He cleared his throat, and she started. When Judy saw that it was him, she froze. Neither of them said anything.

People were beginning to stare. Their friendship had been pretty low-key, so seeing them interacting with each other was new to almost everybody but Ben and Fru Fru and his friends. Judy’s eyes darted around frantically at the attention.

“ _So_. You’re just going to ignore me?” Nick asked, raising an eyebrow.

His assumptive tone made her mouth drop open. As his mouth slowly curled into a smug smile, she slowly forgot her remorse.“I wasn’t- that’s not- _you_ started it!”

Both his eyebrows shot up. “‘You started it?’” He repeated, smile quirking to the side in amusement. “Are we gonna hash this out like five-year olds now? We’re both cute enough for that to work.”

The cafeteria had gone eerily quiet. Clawhauser’s eyes were flitting between the two of them like a tennis match while Fru Fru was pursing her lips, trying her hardest not to smile. Nick’s group of friends were watching from the lunch line, whispering amongst themselves. 

“What are you trying to do?” Judy squeaked, clenching her fork and half-glowering at him, half-avoiding his gaze. She was fighting between being upset with the scene he was causing and feeling like she deserved to be humiliated after what she’d done to him.

“I’d love a public apology,” he chided, placing his paws on the edge of the table and leaning into her space with his stupid little smile. Judy pulled away, angling herself so that his muzzle wasn’t encroaching in her personal bubble.

Her stubbornness was setting in now and she replied resolutely, “No. No, no, no.” And she probably should’ve been more upset with herself because this was the perfect opportunity to tell Nick sorry! Presented on a silver platter! But the gleam in his eyes… well, she got the feeling he was turning this into a game, and she refused to lose. “Absolutely _not_.”

She’d expected him to huff at her or roll his eyes, but all he did was stand up straight and grin slyly at her with his paws in his pockets. He rocked onto his heels, bending to meet her at eye level, then raised his eyebrows in almost a suggestive manner. Paired with his smirk, it looked like he was pulling out all the stops in charming her. “Then how about a private one?”

There was a collective “ _oooooh!”_ Judy tried to fight the rising flush, but she could feel her ears warm. “ _Nick!_ ”

At her show of embarrassment, Nick beamed, shiny teeth all on display. But he had the tact to respond more quietly and less boisterously, “I’m kidding, Carrots. But seriously, your physics homework isn’t going to figure itself out.” He didn’t say anything else as he gracefully spun away, believing his implication to be enough. Nick sauntered back to his friends with his hands in his pockets and a self-satisfied expression on his face. They were yelling things like, “ _pull, Wilde, puullll!_ ” and “ _aaaaw yeah, get ‘em!_ ” all while cat-calling or wolf-whistling.

Judy had the decency to push her tray away so that she could lay her face in the space between her folded arms as she flushed red as a fire engine. The cafeteria had erupted into excited gossip as soon as the confrontation had ended.

“I can see you smiling, Judes,” Ben crowed confidently, grinning down at the back of her head.

Judy laughed before biting her bottom lip, pressing her face tighter into her arms. Maybe Ben could see her smile of joy, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to see her tears of relief.

———

“How about you give me a heads-up next time you want to publicly humiliate me, Wilde?” Judy teased, dropping her bag into the seat beside her. It landed with a soft _thump_ , signaling its unusual lack of textbooks. 

“Now where’s the fun in that?” Nick replied humorously, grinning lazily at her over the textbook that he was rifling through.

“Would’ve saved me a lot of tears,” Judy grumbled, glowering at her antagonist as she seated herself and took out her notebook and pencils. 

“Aaaw, Carrots! You _cried_ for me?” Nick cooed exuberantly, tail flicking mid-air. “You shouldn’t have.”

“I _didn’t!_ ” Judy hissed back, respecting the rule of silence in the library unlike Nick. “It was an expression.” She jiggled her pencil nervously, glancing around to make sure the librarian wasn’t around to hear Nick’s uncomfortably loud voice.

“That’s not what Bellwether said,” he taunted, rocking his chair, which was balancing on its back two legs. His heels were propped up and crossed on the edge of the table.

“What did Bellwether say?” Judy deadpanned. She had a dreadful feeling that the conniving sheep had caught her weeping in the toilet stalls some time after her fall out with Nick. How the lamb could hear Judy suffering and _still_ unmercifully try to frame her for selfish gain and out of spite was a mystery to the bunny.

Nick tutted. “Said she heard you sniffling in the bathroom.”

Narrowing her eyes and returning to her worksheet, Judy mumbled something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like “ _sore loser who can’t stand a .02 GPA difference._ ” 

“It’s ok to cry over me,” her companion said loftily. “Lots of girls do.” Judy made an indignant noise. “And honestly, if I hadn’t heard about your tears, I’d’ve never had mercy on you.”

“Mercy?” Judy scoffed, raising her eyebrows. Her attempt to look disdainful fell short when the corner of her mouth lifted so that she was half-smiling. 

“Yeah, _mercy._ ” He raised an eyebrow at her, leaning his head forward. “I walked past the bathrooms after Bellwether told me, and yeah. That wasn’t just _crying_ , sweetheart. You were _bawling_. So, yeah, I’d like to think I saved you from something.”

Judy was beet-red. Nick folded his arms before he spoke again. “What was it, Carrots?”

It took her a good minute to reply, and during that time, he noticed that her eyes never met his. In fact, they grew glassy as she worried her bottom lip and furrowed her eyebrows. Finally she replied, rather lamely, with “Nothing.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Right.” Then he shrugged and adopted an air of indifference. “Sobbing hopelessly over nothing happens to be my favorite past time as well.”

“Nick,” Judy groaned. She knew what he was trying to do.

“What? I’m just saying!” He held his hands up, like he was being patted down by the cops. “I sob buckets. Enough to water the school greenhouse. In fact, that’s how they do it. They use my tears.” Then he smiled wolfishly. “That’s why nothing grows.”

If she weren’t so distraught, she would have smiled at his self-deprecating remark. As it was, she placed her face into her paws and exhaled slowly and loudly. “You promise you won’t be mad?”

“Well, _that’s_ ominous. What’s there to be mad about?” His genuine cluelessness about her dilemma didn’t ease her anxiety.

Her voice was small, and her eyes shied away from his gaze. “Fru Fru told me about… you.”

He raised his eyebrows at her in a _are-you-serious_ kind of way. “You’re gonna have to be a bit more specific, Carrots.”

Sighing again, Judy finally spit it out, voice high-strung and taut like a rubber band that’d been stretched too far. “About the _muzzle!_ ”

The quiet that followed was deafening. 

Judy scrambled to correct the uncomfortable situation. “I’m so sorry, Nick! I wasn’t trying to pry, I really mean it, I’m so sorry. I was telling Fru Fru how I’d screwed up, and then she told me. It just came up, I didn’t ask or anything. And I’m sure Fru Fru didn’t mean harm!” 

She stopped for just a second, eyes flickering at Nick, who was staring unblinkingly at her. That seemed to amp up her panic, which made her start speaking twice as fast. “It doesn’t make me see you any differently! I don’t… I don’t _pity_ you. I mean, unless you want me to? But I know I wouldn’t want anybody to feel sorry for me. That’s an awful thing for kids to do, and even more awful just cause that’s what they learned from their parents, and if anything, what happened to you makes me _angry_ , and I’d um– I’d beat up those kids or something! Or, well, maybe not. I don’t know. I’d bring justice to the situation! I wouldn’t have let that happen!”

When she heard a snicker, she stopped abruptly. Nick was laughing at her. Nick was _laughing_ at her. She thought that maybe she should feel offended– she’d just nervously poured out her heart! She’d put herself on the line, risked his friendship to be honest with him! And he was _laughing_ at her!

But he’d thrown his head back, and the cream fur climbing down his front stretched out in front of her. He was clutching his stomach with his paws, and now he was practically howling. It occurred to her to be worried about the librarian coming to see what all the ruckus was about, but she was enthralled by the scene before her. Nick looked completely at ease, as if he didn’t care for once if other people saw how he really felt.

As he calmed down, he leaned forward towards the table, still holding his stomach. His shoulders, which had been violently shaking earlier, sagged as he wiped away the tears in his eyes. Seeing that he was regaining his composure, Judy started to ask just what was so funny.

It was his eyes, though, that stopped her. They were open– not half-lidded like they usually were– and bright and _green_ – she’d never noticed before just how green they were! She was briefly reminded of the field of lettuce that bloomed every season back home– and still shiny from his fit of laughter. He was peering at her, eyes soft and… fond? And his gaze looked so honest that it kind of scared her, because she’d never seen Nick like this before.

“Oh, Carrots. I knew you were cute, but this takes the carrot cake.”

Under any other circumstances, that pun would’ve earned him a kick in the shin. As it was, there was something in that defenseless and crooked smile of his that was making her heart pound abnormally fast. And because a rabbit’s heart already beats incredibly quickly, Judy’s felt about ready to burst free and fly away.

In the midst of her stress, she managed to croak out, “Huh?”

But Nick’s ears had pricked then flattened, and his mirthful eyes were now alarmed. Judy blinked and turned to look at what he’d seen. The glass doors were shut, but behind them, a group of rhinos were gathered, animatedly discussing something. One of them had his hands wrapped around the handle. When she turned back, Nick was gone, but something soft and furry brushed against her leg and she yelped.

“Quiet, rabbit,” Nick hissed from underneath the table. 

“What are you doing?” She hissed back, pulling her legs up so that his tail wouldn’t tickle her. 

“Hiding!”

“From what?”

He shushed her and grabbed her legs to pull them back down. Judy yelped, hands flying up to her mouth to muffle the sound. Then he reached for her backpack, placing it strategically in the gap between her and the next seat. Then, he shushed her again. “Do something!”

“Like _what_?” Judy snapped, feeling like an idiot for looking like she was talking to her feet.

“I don’t know! Look occupied. Don’t you have physics homework or something?”

“Believe it or not, I get a lot of work done when you’re ignoring me and not dragging me to _candy stores_.”

“ _Shh!_ ” His voice was absolutely panicked, and she felt him curl up against her legs. He was warm and soft, and she fought the blush that was rising to her face. 

The rhinos had entered the room, and they weren’t doing a good job of hiding that they were looking for someone. From the corner of her eye, she saw the librarian glaring at them and their noisy footsteps. They were mumbling to each other angrily, and as Judy observed them from her periphery, she noticed their white and red varsity jackets. They were from the rival school.

Instinctually, she scooted closer to the table, flipping aimlessly through her notebook like she’d observed Nick doing all the previous days, trying to look like she was searching for something. Nick had pressed himself as close as he could to her, and she could feel his back– or maybe his chest?– rising rapidly in and out. 15 minutes passed before the towering mammals left. Another five minutes passed before Nick came out, fur ruffled in several different directions and looking kind of shaken.

“What was that about?” Judy asked, eyebrows creased in concern. 

“We’ve gotta go.”

“Huh?”

“They’re still looking for me, we’ve gotta go.” He started grabbing her papers and notebooks, stuffing them into her bag haphazardly (was he trying to give her a conniption?). Judy hopped off her seat, staring at Nick. 

“Where?” She asked.

He didn’t look at her as he replied, too occupied with making sure he didn’t leave any evidence that he’d been here. “I- I don’t know. They know all the places I go.”

“We can… go to my place,” Judy offered tentatively. Nick’s head snapped up, looking at her like she’d just split two fish and five loaves of bread to feed thousands. 

There was a rapid series of thudding, and it was growing louder. Nick grabbed Judy’s paw, dragging her along as he broke into a sprint. When they finally made it out of the back entrance (nearly knocking over a tower of filled trash bags in their haste), Nick let up, pushing Judy in front of him. “Lead the way, Carrots.”


	6. Chapter 6

As Judy dragged the anxious fox through the city, she let him make his snide little comments, finding that the more he talked, the less antsy he became. When she finally pulled him up to what she called home, he was back to his lackadaisical self.

"Cute," Nick commented glibly as he stepped into her abode. Rolling her eyes, Judy hung her keys on the little row of hooks just by the door. "Is it just you?"

She nodded, pulling her scarlet tie off. Nick followed suit, loosening his own tie, and then wandered over to the couch in her living room, making himself at home. Placing her book bag against the dining table, she made her way into the kitchen, voice carrying through the opening above the sink. "It's my aunt's place, but she's in Sahara Square. Has been for the past year."

"Nice," he responded. When Judy came back out with two full mugs, Nick was taking in his surroundings, and her gut twisted inexplicably. Was she nervous? About what? Her apartment? Nick _liking_ her apartment? Was it too small? Cramped? Boring? Oh god, the last time she'd wiped down the window sills had to have been a year ago… Wait, why did it matter? It was _Nick_. She wasn't trying to impress him.

Shaking her head, she placed the cups down steadily, making sure not to spill anything. Nick's mouth quirked at the beverages, amber liquid winking in the light. "Apple juice?"

"It's all I have," she shrugged, swirling her own cup before taking a sip. "And apple juice always makes me feel better when I'm nervous."

His eyes softened for just a fraction of a second before he replied in his typical, teasing fashion. "You live right by a grocery store." He was referring to the little depot she lived above.

"I have to study, Nick," Judy countered simply.

He gave a bark of laughter. "Of course. I should've known."

They smiled at each other for a second before Judy decided to end the small moment and cut to the chase. "So, I have a lot of questions–"

Sighing, Nick looked towards her ceiling, shaking his head in what could be mistaken for exasperation if it weren't for the glimmer of amusement in his eyes. "What else is new?"

" _Please?_ " Judy pleaded, curling up into the corner of the couch opposite to Nick, widening her eyes imploringly.

"Fine." Giddy, Judy opened her mouth to ask, but Nick lifted a finger to stop her. "But on one condition."

The look she gave him was wary, and her reply was just as cautious. "What is it?"

"You show me your room."

Judy raised her eyebrows. "That's it? That's all you want?"

He rubbed his paws together, looking extremely pleased with himself. "Yep. That's all."

"You're going to be _really_ disappointed."

"Don't care," Nick replied loftily, already out of his seat and heading into the narrow hallway besides the kitchen. "What am I looking for? Carrot paraphernalia? Posters for UCZ? Framed and signed photos of the Backsheep Boys?"

Judy actually laughed out loud at that one. "Definitely _not_." She caught up to him, bumping his hip to let him know she was going to pass him. When she stepped up to what Nick could only assume was her bedroom, he crossed his arms, waiting to be impressed.

But when she opened the door, he was met with plain, beige walls and innocuous white sheets. Even her desk was empty, save for the little folder organizer standing all on its lonesome in the corner. There was one photo on obvious display hanging above her desk, and it wasn't the Backsheep Boys. Just a wide family portrait that had to have at least 200 people in it.

"Lame," Nick groused.

Shrugging, Judy gave him a _what_ _'_ _d-I-tell-you?_ look. She waited by her door, leaning against the door jamb and counting the seconds until Nick lost interest and turned tail back into the living room. But the ruddy fox stepped past her and made his way to her bed, falling into it, making a contented noise as he settled into the comforters. He turned his head in both directions, looking for something that might catch his interest. Sure enough, Nick reached out to the little photo album sitting on her nightstand, beginning to flip through it.

Trying not to groan in impatience, Judy hopped into her desk chair, rolling up to the foot of the bed. "So…"

"So?" Nick parroted, his gaze not once leaving the little book in his paws.

"What's with the running and hiding?"

Nick's hands faltered. She would've missed it if she hadn't been watching closely for his reaction. "You don't play around, huh, Carrots? Can I pass on that one? Maybe get an easier question?"

" _Nick_."

Sighing, he dropped the picture book to his side, dragging a hand over his face. "Ok, look,"

Judy cringed. That didn't sound good. And _he_ sounded extremely tired just thinking about whatever was going on.

"Part of the reason I got over our… _differences_ ," Judy snorted, and Nick shot her a bit of a dirty look from his position on the bed, "Is because I'm stuck in a bit of a rut, and I might need your help."

"What happened?" Her brows furrowed. He still hadn't given her enough information for her to know how to react.

"Turns out, not meeting with you gave me a lot more free time, which meant getting into a lot more trouble–"

Judy huffed, folding her arms and crossing her legs. "Get to the point, Wilde."

"Finnick and I had a deal go bad with the football team at East High, and since Finnick's kind of already in deep water with some of their parents, I was hoping you might be able to clear some of the air with the kids… Clawhauser's friends with all of them, isn't he?"

Oh. She understood now. And what he was asking of her… well, Judy couldn't help the flood of frustration. Why couldn't he have just kept himself out of trouble? And getting Ben involved? " _Nick_."

He groaned, covering his face with his paws. "Let's not, Hopps. Ok? I know what you're going to say. But here's the thing: I've been doing this for so long that I don't know how to stop. I probably can't."

Judy bit her lip. She'd been prepared to launch into a tirade about how Nick should just up and leave whatever mess he was involved with, but his tired plea reminded her of the past few weeks of silence she'd endured because of her thoughtlessness.

Quietly, she conceded. "Ok. I'll ask Ben."

_That_ caught Nick's attention. He sat up, looking at her strangely. "Really?"

Nodding, Judy returned Nick's disbelieving stare with an obstinate one. "Yeah."

Nick relaxed. "I thought that would be a lot harder."

Chuckling anxiously, Judy shrugged. "I'm… trying to be a better friend," she admitted, looking anywhere but at him. A minute of absolute nothing-ness passed before Judy forced herself to acknowledge him, only to be met with Nick staring at her like something strange was sprouting from her head.

Squirming a little, Judy pressed her ears back with her paw, flushing. "I'm sorry, Nick. I said a lot of awful things, and I didn't think about you at _all_." Her voice quivered a little. "And it's ok if you're still mad, because I would be, too. And… and I'm not going to say I've completely changed already. I wouldn't know, we'll just have to wait and see. But… I'm trying to see what it's like for you, and I really mean it when I say I'm sorry."

In the middle of her little spiel, Nick had began leaning towards her, one paw in his lap and the other extending out towards her. Her heart was going a little haywire, and she couldn't help but stiffen when his finger brushed her cheek, all senses running at maximum capacity.

But all he'd been doing was reaching for her ear. And when he got there, all he did was tug on it while smirking at her. Judy released a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding and laughed nervously, saying the first thing that came to mind. "Have I ever told you how much I hate that?" _Oh god I'm an idiot. Shut up, just shut up._

Nick looked at her knowingly and contentedly, leaning back onto his paws. "That's why I do it, fluff."

Then, again without thinking ( _why was she so nervous what was going on)_ , she blurted out, "How did you convince Pearl? And what am I supposed to tell Ben?"

"Slow down, sweetheart. One at a time, alright?" Despite his smile, there was a curious gleam in his eye. Judy flushed, unable to explain herself.

"What do I tell Ben?"

"Just ask him to put in a good word for me."

Nick's effortlessness put Judy at ease as well, so she managed a small smile. "Alright, that's easy. He's half in love with you anyways."

Nick's ears pricked. "Oh yeah?"

" _Mhmm_. Fru Fru, too." His expression grew even more pleased, and Judy had to swallow her laughter. "I remember the first time I saw you this semester. They thought you were _so_ cool."

Nick was practically preening, and Judy giggled. His attention snapped to her. "What about you?"

Thinking it'd be amusing to poke a little fun in his direction, she pulled a face at him. "You don't want to know."

The plan backfired though, because Nick scooted right in front of her, cocking his head. His ears stood straight up and he pressed himself into her space. Judy blinked, rolling her chair away to keep a more comfortable distance– one that didn't make her heart race– but Nick grabbed the arm rest and dragged her back.

"Nuh-uh, bunny. Explain yourself." His eyes were wide and curious.

Judy choked out an apprehensive giggle. "I was just kidding, Nick."

"Nope, you're not getting out of this one. I'll wait all day if I have to." As if to prove his point, he relaxed easily into his hands, which were propped up by his elbows on the arms of the chair. His half-lidded eyes watched her smugly, clearly loving having her cornered.

Judy racked her brain. What _had_ her first impression been? She recalled reluctantly admitting to herself that he was attractive.

"How about I throw out some words to trigger memories?" Nick suggested in the background. Judy was completely oblivious to him, too caught up in sorting through her thoughts. "Awesome, amazing, genius, hottest thing you've ever seen–"

"I didn't think we'd ever be friends," Judy interrupted, finally settling on what she believed was the most encapsulating thought she'd had upon first seeing him. "But here we are."

Nick pulled away just enough so that only his paws were holding on to the arm rests now. He looked surprised. "How's that working out for you?"

Smiling slowly, Judy momentarily pushed aside the overwhelming pitter-patter of her heart so that she could be honest with him. Tapping one of his paws, she answered, "It's been good."

—

"Really? Good, how?"

He didn't know why his body was trying to eject his heart through his throat, and he didn't know why he was so curious about what she thought. Did he have a morbid desire to be disappointed?

Wait, why did he think he was going to be disappointed? He never cared what others thought about him– he'd made sure of that after fifth grade. 'Cause caring what others thought meant disappointing people and not being what they wanted– being _unable_ to be what they wanted– and that meant _pain_. And if he let himself care about what Judy thought of him, _that_ would be a whole entirely different realm of pain. He knew because– and this was hard for him to admit– he actually kind of liked her. But whose to say she even liked him, and _you know what, whatever. It doesn_ _'_ _t matter. Just don_ _'_ _t let her see that it gets to you. Not that it_ will _get to you, because she_ _'_ _s just a dumb bunny and there_ _'_ _s not much she could do to me anyways_ _–_

"I like you, Nick." She said sincerely, sweetly, all while looking a little shy. "You're fun! And… interesting." The way she said the last word implied that "interesting" was just the tip of the iceberg.

He let his curiosity get the better of him. "Good interesting?"

"Good interesting," she assured, nodding back. This, for some reason, made his heart swell, and all he could think was that he seriously needed to get himself under control.

And _then_ , instead of replying with some _usual_ witty jab and ending this strange conversation in unfamiliar territory, he somehow ended up saying, "I like you, too," in an unusually _fond_ tone that he wasn't sure he'd ever used before. And if he hadn't lost his mind already because of the whole rhino situation and Judy-ignoring him thing, he was definitely losing it now.

Her ears lifted as she looked at him eagerly, and he found himself thinking that he was right about her being cute, and that maybe this whole honest exchange wasn't so bad. Putting up a front was tiring, and as much as he'd wanted to keep Judy at arm's length, he found that she had a way of wearing him down, whether she knew it or not. And it'd only been, what, a month? Two? Since they'd met.

He disembarked from his train of thought when Judy asked, "Really? Why?"

Nick shrugged. "You're cu- _ool_. _Cool_."

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Right. _Cool_. You definitely weren't about to call me cute."

Grinning toothily, he quirked a shoulder. She took a second to glare at him before leaning forward, hands hooked over the edge of the seat as she cocked her head and looked at him mischievously. She swung her legs a little. "So. You think I'm cute?"

Nick cocked an eyebrow. "Is this what this is, rabbit? Convenient ego-stroking? An opportunity to fish for compliments?" It was her turn to grin and quirk a shoulder. "Yes, I think you're cute. Am I allowed to call you that now?"

"I'll make an exception," Judy quipped breezily. "Just this once." She peered at him through her lashes, looking all sly while chuckling at her own joke, and he had an overwhelming urge to tug her to him and do something strangely domesticate and cheesy like lay his chin on the crown of her head.

He reached out to tug her ear again but somehow ended up just running a finger up the velvet backside of one instead. She shivered, and for some reason, he felt satisfied with her reaction. "You might just be my favorite, fluff." Nick said this as candidly as he could, forcing back whatever strange sentimentalism he'd been overcome with in the past few minutes.

Her voice was small and a little breathless. "Favorite what?"

"Whatever you want it to be," he responded smoothly, lowly, crossing his arms over his thighs and leaning forward so he was just a breath away from her.

The closer he inched towards her, the further she inched back, until she had pressed herself as far back as she could go, paws clutching her seat tightly while her nose twitched vehemently in agitation. And as much as he took pleasure in just teasing and cornering her, a small part of him seriously considered taking the dive. After all, he'd never kissed a bunny before.

He almost would've, too, but just as his nose touched hers, his ringtone blared. Judy literally skyrocketed from her seat, and Nick's ears flattened as he checked the ID and swiped his finger over the screen, getting up from the bed and wandering out of the room with the phone to his ear.

—

Judy sat ramrod straight in her seat, willing her heart to calm down from the ferocious rhythm it was pounding at. After a few slow, long breaths in and out, she slumped forward, resting her face in the palms of her hands. _What_ had just _happened_?

Nick's voice drifted through the apartment, calm and cordial. There was no trace of his chronic smarminess. "Yeah, that's fine. Sounds good. No. No, it's fine. Mom, _seriously_. It's fine."

Judy's ears pricked, and she looked up at Nick as he walked back into her room, pacing as he concentrated on his phone conversation. "I'll just take the subway. No, it's not too late." He sighed and looked heavenward for patience, but his gaze was warm and molten. His eyes darted briefly to Judy's and he mustered up an apologetic cringe. She waved it off. "It's barely dark out, mom. I'll be fine. Yes. Yes. Love you too. Yes. I know. Yes. Ok, see ya."

"I can bring you to the subway," Judy offered, slipping out of her seat only to find that her legs were a little weak, which only served to make her feel stupider.

"Thanks," he said, pocketing his phone and picking his back pack off the floor. Judy grabbed a sweatshirt from her closet, pulling the navy piece over her head– it was definitely two sizes too big, and even just the collegiate letters on the front seemed to swallow her up– and then, hesitating for just a second, she grabbed the other burgundy one she owned.

"You want this? It's kind of cold out now."

"I'm good."

"You sure?" She opened the door.

A blast of cold air pelted them, and Nick winced. "On second thought…"

Judy laughed, handing him the article of clothing and following him out. The sun was just beginning to set, and she was grateful that the station wasn't far, otherwise it'd be dark by the time they arrived for his ride.

She fumbled through her mind, looking for something to talk about, when it struck her. "Nick… What'd you tell Pearl?"

He grinned at her easily, and she wished she could be half as unaffected after whatever had just happened in her room. "The truth," was his uncomplicated reply.

"And that was…?"

"Bellwether bought the answers off Duke and then paid Winston– art kid, does some of the graffiti around town? Works at that tattoo shop?– to recopy them in your handwriting."

Judy stared at him in awe. "How do you know all this?"

Nick raised his eyebrow at her. "You see the people I hang out with, Hopps? We're all friends– or at least, we all do business together. So we don't keep things from each other. And anyways, nobody likes Bellwether, so there's no loyalty there."

"Ok," Judy began skeptically. "But Pearl believed you? You were just telling me the other day that nobody would believe a fox–"

Nick interrupted, looking a little uncomfortable and not meeting Judy's eyes. "Her daughter was my third grade teacher, so Pearl probably heard a lot about me, and third grade me was…" His gaze flickered to her for just a second. "Well, you know." He scuffed his toe against the ground, hands in his pockets as he slouched just a bit. "And she met my mom on parents night this semester and apparently they hit it off, so…"

"Oh."

" _Yeah_."

"You must've been a really cute kid if Ms. Pearl's willing to overlook your current delinquency," Judy teased, grinning at him.

"Either that or my mom's a saint." Nick ribbed back, nudging Judy with his elbow. "Which she is, so we know the _real_ reason why Pearl likes me."

"Or," Judy huffed, "it could be all the perfect scores you make, slick."

"Don't be bitter, Carrots. I happen to work very hard to be better than everybody else."

Judy gave a shout of laughter, clapping a paw over her mouth when the jubilant noise echoed loudly off the tiles in the subway station. As if on cue, a train horn blared, and she heard a distant rattling that covered up the obnoxious reverberations.

A warm gust of wind signaled the train's arrival. "That's me," Nick said, stepping up to the door. "See ya later, Judes."

"Bye!" She waved, clutching her school-issued skirt as another gust of wind wrapped around her. Judy continued to wave until his cart disappeared down the tunnel.

Staring down the dark passage, she contemplated the gnawing feeling in her chest. She was afraid– afraid of what had just happened between them, but also afraid of what _might_ happen between them. Her single consoling thought was that they made surprisingly good friends, and that really, it was better this way.

So she took whatever feelings might be growing in her heart and stowed them away into a box before shoving that box into a compartment in the back of her brain.

—

Nick plucked at the pilling on his sleeve. He looked pretty good in burgundy, if he did say so himself. When he was satisfied with the work he'd done on the sleeve, he took a careful look at his surroundings.

There was nobody else in the cart.

Pulling the neck of the sweater up to his nose, he inhaled deeply. Sweet pea blooms and a hint of dandelion sap. Something about the cozy scent made him relax into the cold, hard seat. He breathed into the fabric again, eyes drifting shut as he let his body melt further into the chair.

Wait– he reeled back, eyes snapping open– did his heart just _skip_ a _beat?_

Hastily, he released his grip on the sweater, sitting up straight and keeping his muzzle as far from the hem as he could. What the hell was wrong with him?


	7. Chapter 7

**Boys Like You**

—

"So Juju," Fru Fru drawled off-handedly, picking up the salt shaker her chef had packed in her lunch. "Are you going to winter formal?"

Hand still on her fork and fork still in her mouth, Judy nodded. She'd (conveniently) forgotten that winter formal was in just a month until she'd walked into school that morning. There wasn't an inch of wall space that hadn't been plastered in some kind of advertisement for the yearly event, and for Judy, the realization brought a whole slew of other realizations, like that she needed to get a dress. And also buy tickets. And figure out if she was going to hitch a ride with her date or just meet him at the venue.

"Oh yeah?" The shrew's voice was deceptively casual. In fact, her indifference was a little _too_ forced, in Judy's opinion. But she let her friend have her fun. "Taking anybody of interest?"

Ah. So that's what this was. Judy laughed. "Next time just ask, Fru."

"What?" Fru Fru continued to feign confusion, mixing her salad with wide, innocent eyes.

"Judy's going with me, like always," Ben answered, shimmying his shoulders a little.

_That_ made Fru Fru's face crumple. Her frown was almost comic, and Judy snickered, which made Fru Fru narrow her eyes at the bunny before turning to look at Benjamin accusingly. " _You_? Don't you have a _boyfriend_?" Clawhauser started to reply, but Fru Fru overtook his voice with her own. "What about _Nick?_ " She pointed her silverware at Judy like it was a weapon of execution, and the rabbit had to bite her bottom lip to keep her laughter at bay.

When she thought she could safely speak without falling into fits of giggling, Judy said, "What about him?"

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about!" Fru Fru scolded, jabbing her fork at her target. "Nick _Wilde!_ Why aren't you going with _him!_ "

"He didn't ask," Judy replied flippantly.

Fru Fru was clearly not pleased with the lazy response, and she looked at Judy like her best friend had a few screws loose. "Um, then _make him?_ "

What was Fru Fru trying to imply? Smiling uncertainly, Judy shook her head. "He's already asked someone else."

"Um, _what?_ " Fru Fru exclaimed, placing her utensil down with a little more force than normal. "What do you _mean_ he's already asked someone else?"

Ben clucked his tongue and nodded his head. "Oh, I heard about that. Kristie, right?" Judy _mhm_ -ed at him. "That's pretty cute. How'd you find out?"

Truthfully, the topic had come up when she'd been dragging Nick back to her apartment, but Ben and Fru Fru didn't know what had happened last Friday. "Furbook," she replied simply, focussing on stabbing a broccoli floret so that she wouldn't have to look either the shrew or cheetah in the eye. Ben always said Judy's tell was that her pupil's would shrink _just_ enough.

"Kristie? Kristie _Renardo?_ God, I hate her." The last part Fru Fru muttered under her breath, and Judy laughed.

" _What_ is the big _deal_ , Fru?" Judy guffawed, putting down her own fork. The riot Fru Fru was making was hysterical. And anyways, Judy knew the arctic shrew didn't hate Kristie. In fact, just yesterday Fru Fru had been going off about how much she _liked_ Kristie and what a shame it was that the vixen didn't spend more time with them. Ultimately, Fru Fru had very little room in her heart for hatred, and Judy knew the shrew was only acting out in a moment of impatience (something that Judy was sure she'd gotten from her dad).

"She thinks you and Nick were _made_ for each other," Ben cooed, taking a lick of his pudding before shrugging at Fru Fru and addressing her directly. "But you shouldn't get so worked up. You know how Wilde is with girls. They're all over him and he couldn't care less. He's such a flirt, whether he knows it or not. Those are the worst, honestly," Ben rambled. "'Cause there you are thinking they're into you, and _bam_ , you tell 'em you like them and they're all, 'oh, I had no idea? Oh, I was leading you on? No way, I totally didn't mean to, I thought I was treating you how I treated everybody, blahblahblah'." The way his tone became increasingly agitated gave away that he was clearly speaking from personal experience. His hand had also progressively tightened when he'd been quoting the stranger in a whiny voice.

" _Anyways!_ " The linebacker threw his hand up. "I digress. Kristie's probably just a little thing to him. Maybe Judy'll have a shot at junior prom." Clawhauser smiled wickedly at the rabbit. "I think you're his _favorite_."

_That_ sobered Judy up, and she wondered if Ben had somehow been listening in on her exchange with Nick that other day. She glanced between both her friends and tried to fight the heat climbing to her face, scoffing and looking down at her food for a distraction. " _Please._ We barely know each other. And I can't go to this year's prom anyways, my parents are hosting the town's harvest festival that weekend." She didn't catch it, but Ben and Fru Fru exchanged a look.

Fru Fru opened her mouth to give her two cents on Judy's relationship with Nick, but Ben beat her to it. And instead of commenting on the remarkable amount of time she'd clocked with Nick since the school year had started, he chose to close the conversation, shooting a warning glance at Fru Fru. "Judy can go with whoever she wants, and she picked _me_. Stop trying to take my date away from me, Fru!" He griped jokingly, pretending to be insulted.

Playing along, Fru Fru sniffed. "I'm just looking out for _Jack!_ "

"Oh, he doesn't want to go to winter formal," Ben waved his paw as if that resolved the entire situation. "He said he'll go to prom though."

"You're so lucky," Fru Fru sighed. "I have no idea who I'm going to go with."

"Go stag," Ben suggested, picking up the cup of pudding so that he could swipe his fingers around the sides and clean it out thoroughly.

"Maybe. But it's so fun to have someone to match with," the shrew sighed again.

"Oooh, that reminds me, help me choose the color for our bowties–"

The conversation devolved into Ben scrolling through photos he'd saved onto his phone while Fru Fru sat on his shoulder and looked on, alternating between squealing and gagging. Judy participated distractedly, the idea of _girls_ and _Nick_ lingering and buzzing in the back of her head like the stupid mosquitos around her farm lake over the summer.

—

Judy grit her teeth as she stretched her arms behind her, reaching for the stubborn zipper of the dress she was trying on. The zip evaded her fingers, and Judy whined a little. Eyeing Fru Fru helplessly, she pleaded, "Help?"

Fru Fru scampered up her friend's side and down her arm, tugging at the zipper, which finally gave way. Judy grasped the pesky thing and pulled it the rest of the way up until the dress was secure on her. Dropping her hands, she gave a little swish and then looked expectantly at Fru Fru, who shook her head as she sat herself back onto the ottoman in the dressing room. Sighing, Judy went to work taking the seriously embellished dress off.

As the rabbit pulled the next dress (this was the fifth one, and she was honestly about to give up) over her head, she heard Fru Fru ask rather unexpectedly, "So why didn't you ask Nick?"

Through the many layers that effectively muffled her speech, Judy replied, "We're not like that, Fru."

"What _are_ you guys like then?" The shrew questioned, sounding like she'd already decided on the answer herself.

Sighing, Judy looked at her friend without glancing at the mirror. "We're just friends, Fru Fru. Nothing more, nothing less. I mean, he's a _fox_ , for crying out loud."

Sniffing a little, Fru Fru shrugged. "And?"

Letting out a disbelieving laugh, Judy furrowed her eyebrows. "I'm a rabbit." As if that was all the explanation anybody needed. As if maybe, if she repeated it enough, it would finally sound half as convincing to herself as it did coming out of her mouth.

Furrowing her brow, she shook her head. It wasn't like she really had feelings for Nick. And even if she did, it was only because he was kind of ( _really_ ) good-looking and paying her a little bit of attention. After all, plenty of girls worked themselves into a tizzy when an attractive individual paid them mind– and even if Judy had never thought she was one of those girls, she wasn't above believing that maybe she could fall victim to that sort of thing.

Well, actually, she kind of did believe she was above that. But just once didn't really mean anything, right? And this was _definitely_ a one time thing that would die out in a month or something.

"Ok," Fru Fru said casually, nodding her head slowly, as if she agreed. Judy left her thoughts and tensed a little, knowing Fru Fru had more to say than just that. Sure enough, the arctic shrew followed up with a blunt, "So what?"

_God_ , Judy groused to herself. Why did Fru Fru have to be so caring and nice and love Judy so much that somehow, a fox and rabbit being together– _in high school! Valedictorian! Delinquent!_ – wasn't so ridiculous and just " _so what_ "? The whole thing was everything _but_ " _so what_ "! Judy almost stomped her foot in exasperation.

"It doesn't work like that," Judy murmured, avoiding her companion's keen stare. Her own violet eyes moved to her reflection, and she startled a little at what she saw.

Cooing, Fru Fru voiced her appreciation. "You look beautiful, Judy. I think we've found you're dress!" Her voice climbed an octave at the end, bubbling over with excitement. "And it'll be a steal, too."

She was right– the dress lacked the usual adornments that characterized formal dresses. It was just a simple, cream gown that fell to the floor in a soft heap of cloth. Nothing complicated, but bright and comfortable and very Judy. And ultimately, the minimalism of the dress reflected itself in its reasonable price.

"I can have my tailor hem it for you," Fru Fru commented, clapping her hands together. "You're lucky you found a dress so close to the dance… and it's lucky I have a tailor. _Three days_ , Judy! It's unlike you to put things off… almost like your head is filled with something else entirely, you know?" The look she pinned Judy with was filled with something the bunny didn't want to put a name to. Honestly, it was like Fru Fru knew everything. And while it was rather awe-inspiring, most of the time it unnerved Judy– now being one of those times.

Feeling a little awkward, Judy tugged the skirt of the gown up until it just brushed the ground. The alteration would take off a good four inches, she observed before blithely replying, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Of course not," her best friend answered, her mouth curling to one side as she looked ruefully at Judy. "And that's ok. If it's meant to be, it'll happen, right?" When Judy looked at the shrew in disbelief, Fru Fru just laughed exuberantly, eyes sparkling with love and admiration and just a little bit of mischief.

Ben barged in in that minute, a fresh bag of caramel corn in his paws. Squealing, he raised his arms in the air in victory, showering the room enthusiastically with sticky popcorn. " _Perfect!_ And I have _just_ the bowtie to match," he gushed, tail practically wagging. "I'll go get the car and bring it to the curb outside of Mousey's. And… could you get me a cinnamon pretzel from Auntie Ram's on your way out? I'll pay you back."

"Sure!" Fru Fru tittered, chipper. "Anything to make you happy!"

"Aaaw, you're just the greatest, Fru. I love you!"

Ben turned tail and left, keys jingling from his finger. He hadn't noticed Fru Fru's unwavering stare at all, but Judy could hardly blame him. After all, Ben just wasn't one to pay much attention when things didn't involve him, and Fru Fru's meaningful look definitely hadn't involved him.

Her clear, blue eyes been pinned on Judy the whole time.

—

"A bunny, huh?" Finnick took a drag from his cigarette, blowing the smoke into Nick's face.

Nick shot the fennec fox a dirty look, waving away the cloud that burned his eyes. As much as he hated admitting it, Judy's stringent "smoke-where-you-want-but-not-around- _me_ -buddy!" attitude was getting to him– which _probably_ meant he was spending a lot more time with the rabbit than he could fathom… but he shook the thought from his head, preferring to rest in the blissful ignorance of _not_ understanding Judy's influence on him.

"Not you too," Nick mumbled, words working around the blueberry sucker in his mouth, coming out muddled and sloppy as a result. "How'd you even find out?"

They were kicked back behind Sweet Fang, relaxing (well, at least Finnick was. Nick was a little tense right now) against the brick wall that made up the exterior of the candy store. A cigarette dangled from Finnick's lips, and Nick pulled the lollipop out of his mouth to examine it so that he wouldn't have to acknowledge the way his companion was analyzing him.

In a deceitfully disinterested manner, Finnick shrugged and said, "Emerson told me about it."

"Dumb timber wolf," Nick muttered darkly, squinting his eyes at the jewel-blue candy before sighing. The canine had been particularly interested in Nick's interest in Judy, to a degree where his persistent questioning– _you gonna do something about it? You done anything about it yet? You bringing her to the dance? What about prom? Has she met Mama Wilde yet? You gonna introduce 'em?_ – and sly side-eyeing that he thought Nick couldn't see ( _dumb wolf_ , Nick thought again) had become extremely, _extremely_ irritating, and Nick did what he could to not be alone in the same room as Emerson anymore.

"Your mom met her yet?"

"Who, Judy?"

"No, the _other_ bunny," Finn bit sarcastically. " _Yes_ , Judy. That her name?"

"Yeah. Judy Hopps."

"Huh, suits her."

"You think?"

Finn snickered. "Look at you, getting all excited! Wanna talk about your girlfriend some more?"

Nick scowled at him. "She's not my girlfriend." And she would never be, which was fine by him. 'Cause he really, _honestly_ just wished everybody would lay off. As far as Nick was concerned, he was just trying to make it out of life alive, and Judy was an over-achieving, overly-enthusiastic blip on his radar.

A blip that smelled like sunshine and daisies, whose sweater he'd tossed haphazardly by his pillow that he'd occasionally wake up to with his muzzle pressed into. A sweater that had been waiting for the past few days to be washed and returned because he was reluctant, for some reason, to do either of those things, but… _whatever_.

The shorter fox made a noise of disdain. "Huh, that's right. You're bringing that Renardo girl to that sappy school dance."

"She asked me. Something wrong?" Nick raised an eyebrow at Finnick. Kristie was an upstanding student and fox, so what could be wrong with her? Sure, she was no Judy Hopps (valedictorian extraordinaire, deliverer of justice, and protector of all that was good and right, as the bunny had not failed to mention constantly the first few times they'd talked), but for a vixen, she was well on her way to a comfortable life– as comfortable as it could be for a fox, anyhow. So unless there was some shady situation going on with her or her family, Nick had no idea why Finnick looked so put out about his date with her.

"Nothin'. Nothin' at all." He said the next part as if it were the exact opposite of " _nothin'_ ". "Just a little boring, don't you think?"

"Boring?"

Finnick shrugged and had the decency to look a little uncomfortable. "Seems like the kind of girl to get married and pop out a few kids. Is that what you want? You wanna settle down before you've got the time to start anything?"

"Cream and _cheese_ , Finn!" Nick blurted, eyes wide as the moon and clearly appalled as he spluttered, "It's a school _dance_ , not some– some– _cult engagement ritual!_ "

"Eh, same thing."

" _No! It's not!_ "

Calm as the ocean after a storm, Finnick sent Nick a heavy look. "What are you now, a junior? You've got, what, one more year of school?"

Grumbling, Nick replied, "Five if you count college."

The glance Finn shot Nick was nothing short of scathing, and his following remark was equally as caustic. "How many foxes you know go to college?" Silence ensued. "That's what I thought. But you know what usually _does_ happen? You know what happened to my ma and pa? And yours, too? And the Renardos? They all hooked up sometime in high school, came out and found some local job, and popped out a few kids. That's how it is, Nicky."

Nick clenched his jaw. "Yeah? And what if that's not what I'm planning on?"

Sighing, Finnick flicked the ash off his cigarette. "Then do me a favor and _don't_ get too tied up with Kristie." He gave himself a moment of deliberation, taking one last, long puff before dropping his smoke and crushing it into the gravel. "Hopps is… good."

"She's a _rabbit_."

"I said _good_ , you idiot. Not _easy_."

"What does that even _mean_?"

"You'll figure it out."

—

In a crowd of sweetly swaying couples who were infatuated with each other and whispering into each other's ears before staring deeply and meaningfully into each other's eyes, Judy was pressed to Clawhauser's stomach, giggling in maniacal fits as he pranced and twirled them around. Her arms wrapped as far as they could around his happy belly, hugging him tightly to herself under the atmospheric lights of the dance.

"You're tickling me, Judy!" Ben whined, trying to tug Judy away from him. "Stop laughing!" Judy fastened herself more tightly to him and giggled harder.

Somebody had spiked the punch. Normally, she would've been a little miffed, but she was a little too… _far-gone_ to be in anything but a good mood. It was only an hour and a half into the school event, but already her body seemed to be moving apart from her mind.

Time was moving too quickly for her as well, because she found herself sitting by the snack table, the slow song long over. Ben had placed her in one of the seats, telling her to _sit and don't budge an inch, mister!_ because he was going to get her water. Which was a shame, really, because they were playing Ariana Grounde's most recent single, which happened to be Judy's favorite right now (last week had been Hyena Gomez). But she really should listen to Ben and just stay in one place for a little.

Oh! That was Nick!

… _Wow._ _That_ was _Nick_.

"You _own_ a _bowtie_?" Judy beamed up at him, steadying herself against the table behind her. Nick grinned lopsidedly down at her, cup of punch in hand. That smirk paired with his fancy-shmancy dark, fitted suit (why did he have a fitted suit?) had Judy's heart beating in time to the beat.

"Something tells me I shouldn't drink this."

"Mm," Judy agreed. "I really wouldn't suggest it."

"I'm not surprised you have sound judgment even when you're less than sober, Carrots."

"What can I say?" She raised her shoulders almost to her ears and smiled even wider. "Goodness is deeply ingrained into me."

Nick laughed out loud.

"Where's Kristie?" Judy asked, cocking her head and squinting a little so that Nick's figure would stop wobbling at the edges.

"Bathroom."

"Aaaah," Judy replied, full of intelligence and wisdom and coherence (clearly).

Maybe it was a little morbid curiosity, maybe it was just a genuine shot at small-talk, but Nick couldn't help but ask, "What about your date?"

"Ben?" Judy looked up at the ceiling, contemplating where the cheetah might be. She completely missed the way Nick's body seemed to sink in relief. "He went to get me water– _shoot!_ I wasn't supposed to move! I have to get back." But her eyebrows furrowed, and her eyes stared glassily through the crowd. "Cheese and crackers," she murmured, more to herself than to Nick. "Where _is '_ back'?"

Chortling, Nick set his glass down, tweaking Judy's ear. "You'll be fine with me, Hopps. Relax." Just as he said this to her, the current song phased out, and another slow song was introduced. And for some stupid reason, he asked without thinking, "Wanna dance?"

The question dangled in the air. Judy looked concerned, and Nick hit himself over the head mentally as he waited to be shot down. Instead, however, the bunny asked, "What about Kristie?"

Glancing above Judy's ears, Nick lifted a shoulder. Kristie was standing in the hallway outside the venue, looking deeply engrossed in a conversation with someone he didn't know. "I don't think she'll be back for a while."

Judy stepped away from the table, dropping her hands to her sides while looking straight ahead at Nick's tie bar. "I'm a little… _short_ for you."

"Not a problem, fluff."

Grinning, Nick pulled her close enough to him so that her toes stepped over his. "Tiptoes, sweetheart," and she raised herself obediently as Nick gently pressed his paws into her sides. Judy instinctually looped her arms around his neck, and he found that his nose just brushed the top of her head like this. "It's a bit of a stretch–" Judy snorted at his pun, "But it works, doesn't it? You good?"

Humming in agreement and nodding to show she was fine, Judy let her friend maneuver them. "This is pretty cute, Wilde. Do you have a little sister who you let dance with you like this?"

He shook his head, muzzle knocking into her ear. Judy let the appendages drop down. "No siblings. Just practical, charming me."

"Charming, huh?"

"Yeah, my portrait is right by the dictionary entry."

Judy snickered, and he could feel the vibrations running through her body. "Alright, slick. I'll be sure to check the next time I've got a dictionary on hand." The next few moments were quiet and comfortable, just Nick leading them as Judy hung comfortably from his neck, looking pleased and a little sleepy. She was peering at him with a look filled with _something_ as her mouth quirked to the side. "I'm glad we met. And I'm glad we got to be friends."

What was it in that look? Fondness? Wonder? Well, whatever it was, it made him want to… _test out_ kissing a rabbit. What an _awful_ , _nagging_ curiosity that had been plaguing him these past few days, and he'd _definitely_ have to satiate it at some point. So why not now?"

"Oh, there's Kristie!" Judy whispered, pulling herself away from Nick. He noticed then that they'd been dancing for a good two and a half songs– that must've been someconversation Kristie had had, Nick thought in a jumble, re-familiarizing himself to a world without something warm and soft flush against him. He blinked as Judy waved goodbye to him as she stepped back into the crowd until she disappeared.

"Was that Judy Hopps?" Kristie asked conversationally, standing by Nick's side. "I didn't know you guys were friends."

"Yeah. We're friends," Nick answered a little bemusedly, as if he was realizing it for the first time himself.

"That's cool!" She chirped. A second later, she tugged his elbow. "Well hey, there was something I wanted to ask you. Could we go somewhere a little quieter?"

—

a/n: So, funny story (not really): this chapter was so hard to write aND THEN I HIT MY STRIDE AND I HAD SO MUCH FUN. Also, I DON'T MEAN TO BE A TEASE IT'S JUST HOW IT IS. Can't do nothin' about it! It's like I have control over Nick and Judy cause dis mah story, but actually… I don't really… because their characteristics don't really allow for me to rush things?! Aaaaawww yis, dat character consistency that I gotta stick too, aay. At least, in this situation and setting, I imagine Nick and Judy being in denial and pining away for a little bit. I love a good denial and pining, yuss I do!

(Also do you like how my author's notes become progressively more casual as the chapters progress LOL u r seeing me as i truly am now eek it is a terror and a sight to behold ain't it)

Leave a review if you wanna, I always love hearing from everybody! I read every single review (usually like… three times. The feeling of reading everybody's thoughts is euphoric HAHAHA), and they always mean so much to me. Thank you times a thousand, you guys! It makes me so happy that these chapters make you guys so happy. :")


	8. Chapter 8

**Boys Like You**

—

She was forced awake by her phone, which was vibrating and ringing between her pillow and mattress. In the state she was in last night, she must have wedged it there in a fit of carelessness. Fortunately, Judy hadn't had that much to drink last night, so she really only had a tiny headache between her eyes, which also meant she remembered everything that happened last night, and she couldn't help but smile a little at how silly her dancing with Nick must've looked to any onlookers.

Her phone jarred again and disrupted the flow of her thoughts, so she took the device in her paws and fumbled for a second before sliding it unlocked and managing a sleep-crusted "hello?"

" _Judy!_ " Ben squealed. "So glad you're awake. Are you ok?"

"Fine," Judy yawned, stretching and swinging her legs off the bed to get up and make her way to the bathroom. "A little bit of a headache, but it's really not that bad–"

"No no no," Ben rushed, "not _that_. _Nick!_ "

Perplexed, Judy sat back down, sinking into her comforter. "Nick is… fine? I didn't see him after we danced, Ben, so I don't really know anything."

The line seemed to go dead, and Judy pulled it away from her ear to glance at the screen. It was still displaying Clawhauser's ecstatic display photo he'd taken for himself on her phone, so she knew he hadn't hung up.

Quietly, timidly, Ben said, "Nick and Kristie, Judy. They're going out."

Judy furrowed her brows, somewhat dumbfounded. "Huh?" It'd only been a night, after all. One second she'd been hanging with Nick, and the next second he was dating somebody? Seemed strange and sudden. Plus, the vibe she'd gotten from Nick last night was that he only saw Kristie as a friend.

"I'm sorry, Judy. You wanna drown your sorrows in ice cream?"

"Sorrow?" Judy laughed. "I'm _fine_ , Ben. There was nothing between me and Nick." How many times was she going to have to tell people that?

Still, she wondered if Nick really thought it was worth it to ruin his seemingly worthwhile friendship with Kristie with a relationship. If it were her, she probably would've played it safe and opted for a platonic relationship with someone she cared for like that. Then again, why was she assuming he and Kristie wouldn't work out? And why did the thought of them working out make her insides clench a little?

"You sure?" Ben asked tentatively. Judy could practically hear his concerned look over the speaker.

Ignoring the tight feeling in her gut, Judy chirruped, "Positive," and bounced on her mattress a little.

"… Well, can we get ice cream anyways?"

His sheepish and coy tone made Judy laugh, and she nodded her head enthusiastically, ears swinging in tandem before remembering Clawhauser couldn't see her. "Sure! Did you have somewhere specific in mind?"

With a satisfied noise, Ben answered, "Fru Fru keeps going on about this ice cream shop near the school, so I've been wanting to check it out. I can be at your place in 10?"

"Sounds good," Judy replied, ending the convo and leaping off her bed.

—

" _Here?_ " Judy's eyes, big and round, stared at the signage of the very familiar candy store to the right of the ice creamery, completely ignoring the soft, sherbet umbrellas standing over the white outdoor seating for the ice cream shop. Her inflection was as raised as her eyebrows.

"Well, the ice cream shop, yeah. I mean, we can check that place out after, if you want–"

"No, no, no," Judy replied hastily, pushing her friend towards the ice cream. Ben squawked at her power, standing his ground out of sheer surprise.

"Judy!" He scolded, pulling her off of him by the scruff of her neck. After opening the door– they were welcomed by the tinny, friendly chime of a bell hanging over the entrance– he placed Judy back down inside of the shop. "Ooh, Fru Fru was right. This _is_ cute!"

The entire store continued with the pastel and white theme they'd had a taste of outside, lending itself to a casual and playful atmosphere. A similarly amicable looking hyena was manning the counter, wiping down the sticky surface. Seeing customers, the hyena tossed the rag to a corner, grabbed a scoop, and smiled easily at them as she waited for their orders.

"Oooh, they have birthday cake _and_ funfetti," Clawhauser murmured under his breath, sounding contemplative as he pressed his forehead to the glass display. When he suddenly pulled away in shock, there was a clear print against the glass. "Oh no, they have _cheesecake!_ " He turned to look at his friend, face a mix of devastation and pure elation. "Judy, they have _cheesecake_ …"

As Ben hummed, Judy hovered over the other end of the case, debating whether she should get the vanilla-mixed berry combo or step out of her comfort zone and trying the rhubarb and graham cracker swirl. She leaned closer to the window, her breath fogging up the glass as she tried to discern if the rhubarb had any chunks in it, or if it was purely just a syrup–

"I'd go with the vanilla and berry," a slick voice suggested, and Judy nearly launched herself into the ice cream display, she started so badly.

" _Nick!_ " She gasped out, clutching her chest as she stepped away from him. "What are you doing here?"

Nick gave a nod to the employee, who smiled back yieldingly. "I was just next door. Thought I saw your fuzzy, wuzzy tail twitching itself into this store and thought I'd bless you with my presence."

"You're going to be standing there for a _long_ time if you think your presence blesses me, Wilde," Judy ribbed, looking up at him slyly.

As Nick studied her smugly, the bell jingled again, and Judy's eyes darted over his shoulder. Kristie waved genially at her as she stepped through the entrance, and Judy returned the gesture. Nick turned to look at who she was smiling at, and his tail– which had been swishing high in the air earlier– settled calmly to the ground. The haughty expression he'd been housing fell away, replaced by a decidedly cool one. Judy was going to make a jab at his lack of excitement, but then she noticed the smaller fox trailing behind Kristie.

" _You!_ " Judy gasped, then folded her arms and scowled at the fennec fox. "You're the drug dealer!" Nick snorted and Kristie broke into peals of laughter.

"That's not all I am, sweetheart," Finnick deadpanned, not even bothering to look at the "sweetheart" in question. Judy narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him.

"What are you doing here?" Judy interrogated. Finnick ignored her and her unfriendly question, walking past Judy and sitting himself down at one of the round tables dotting the shop. His feet hovered far from the floor, and Judy fleetingly recalled her first impression of Finnick, when she had mistakingly pegged him for an innocuous youth.

All this time, the predator behind the counter's smiled had been progressively dropping until finally, she sighed with thinly veiled ire. "Are you going to order or not, ma'am?"

Flustered, Judy turned to Ben to tell him to go ahead, except Nick beat her to it. "Don't worry about us, Rach. I've got it." Gaping, Judy checked for a name tag on the hyena– who shrugged, turned, and left– but there wasn't one.

Looking to Nick, she asked, "You know her?"

With an air of superiority, Nick answered, "I know everyone, fluff." Hopping behind the register, he pulled out the scoop Rachel had put down, twirling it in his hands. "Whaddya want, you two?"

"A scoop of cheesecake and a scoop of chocolate on a sugar cone, please," Ben ordered, tail flicking as he leaned against the counter with his head in his paws and his elbows on the cool stone. Curiosity brightening his eyes, Ben began to grill Nick. "So how does this work?" He pointed between Nick and the cash register. "And her?" He gave a nod towards the back door that the hyena had left through.

Nick handed the topped sugar cone to Ben as he rang him up. "I use to work here with Rachel." Holding out Ben's receipt– which he refused, and so Nick crumpled it in his paw and tossed it into the bin– he turned to Judy next. "What'll it be for you, darli- Hopps?"

Judy caught his slip-up, and hoped desperately that Kristie hadn't. She noticed that Nick himself looked slightly uncomfortable at his mistake– he maintained his usual poker face, but there was the minutest line between his eyebrows and just the smallest twitch of his nose– and Judy rushed to cover up what had just happened. "Just one scoop of the–"

He was already pulling from the tub of vanilla and mixed berry, and Judy drew back, looking a little affronted as she expressed her displeasure. "That's not what I–"

"Trust me, rabbit," the scoop slipped easily into the cup he'd gotten for her (Judy huffed because _how did he know I was going to ask for a cup?_ ). "If you're anything like me, this is the way to go."

Huffily, she replied, "I'm pretty sure employees aren't allowed to do this to customers– and I like to think I'm nothing like you."

"Good thing I'm not technically an employee, huh?" Nick grinned impishly at her, and Judy couldn't help a sideways smile of her own, which she tempered with an eye roll. "And everybody wants to be like me," he continued easily, opening the register with Rachel's employee code when Judy pulled a bill out. "You're no exception." The coins he dropped into her outstretched paw clinked together as he smirked at her.

"Wilde," Judy began, wrinkling her nose and putting on a facade of pretension. "I am _always_ the exception."

When Finn gave a roar of laughter, Judy and Nick both jumped a little, tugged out of their interaction with each other as if they'd forgotten there were others around them (and honestly, they had). The coins in her hand slipped out of her palm from her sudden motion, and Judy knelt to the ground to retrieve them as Finn cackled with laughter, voice booming as he hollered over and over again, banging his fist against the table, "Oh boy!"

As Finnick's uproar continued, one coin rolled to Kristie's feet, spiraling to a stop. She crouched down, picking it up just as Judy reached over. Their eyes met, and Judy immediately drew her hand back, face a medley of embarrassment, shame, and uncertainty. Violet eyes flickered away.

"Here ya go," Kristie lilted, smiling softly at Judy.

"Thanks," Judy managed, trying to maintain her composure. Kristie had always had a nice voice. Fru Fru had told her about how the choir teacher was almost always telling Kristie to audition for the solos. Honestly, Kristie was so _nice_ , which… which… _good for Nick!_

"How'd you meet Nicky?"

The fox in question was engaged in a heated debate with Finnick, debating the pros and cons of each ice cream flavor as Ben listened on, lapping heartily at his cone, probably the instigator of such a frenzied argument. The cheetah was leaning serenely against the counter as he watched on, looking extremely self-satisfied. When he caught Judy's eye, he winked.

Blinking and turning her attention back to Kristie, Judy explained rather lamely, "Oh, it was just… calculus. I needed his help."

Kristie nodded knowingly. "Nicky's really smart. It's a shame he doesn't try harder. Every time I tell him to stop getting into his shenanigans and just study more, he tells me I don't get it."

Dryly, Judy thought about how familiar that sounded, except she'd received a bit more of an earful– as well as a deeper look at her own prejudices. She managed to bite back her sorry sigh, only for _Kristie_ to sigh, face turning down a little at the corners.

"The thing is, I _do_ get it," Kristie shrugged. "We're foxes. It's not easy. But the least we can do is just lay low, not create any more chaos, ya know? The more Nick struggles, the more problems he creates for himself. What I don't get is _why_. Nick has everything he needs to get by. He's smart enough to get a job that pays the bill, and he's not a _bad_ fox. But he chooses to do these bad things, and it's like he's trying to fight an easy life."

That was… odd. Judy blinked owlishly at Kristie, not completely comprehending what she was saying, other than that it sounded like Kristie had pigeon-holed herself and Nick because she was too afraid to do anything that upset whatever societal pressures there were. Actually, Judy was a little confused if anything, because she and Kristie were technically seeing the same thing about Nick– that he wasn't applying himself– but Kristie seemed to think if Nick applied himself, he'd make it by, if only by the fur of his teeth. Judy, on the other hand, thought that if Nick wanted to, he could be something other than what everybody else thought he was, and that he could flourish in that.

"I guess as his girlfriend, I have to drag him in the right direction, don't I?" Kristie continued ruefully, oblivious to Judy's growing discomfort.

Judy bit her tongue, holding back her disagreement because she didn't really know Kristie. It was all too much to think about, so instead she asked, "How do _you_ know Nick?"

"Oh, I've known him since we were kids," her hazel eyes watched Nick affectionately, and Judy felt her heart sink. When Kristie looked back at Judy, the bunny forced her ears up and nodded eagerly, trying not to tap her foot. "He was so sweet. I use to chase him around the playground, and he thought it was the grossest thing on earth. _Boys_." She gave Judy a look.

Judy smiled indolently, response-time a little backed up because of all the feelings flying around in her body. Looming over all of them was an uninterpretable forlornness. "I bet you have a ton of fun stories."

"Oh, you don't know the half of it," Kristie said, voice low as she widened her eyes for effect.

Her words clearly held no malevolent undertones, but as Judy laughed outwardly, she swatted internally at the voice in her head. _No, you really don_ _'_ _t_ , it taunted, cementing the idea that she wasn't all that close to Nick, and she was silly to think that their burgeoning trust really meant anything. _It_ _'_ _s just a crush_ , she reminded herself. _It_ _'_ _ll pass_. _It always does._

"I think that's my cue," Kristie sighed, stepping towards Finnick, who was practically foaming at the mouth and lunging for Nick's neck. Nick was evading his attacks deftly, smiling snidely at the livid mammal. When she grabbed Finnick by the back of his neck, Nick's sneer immediately mollified, and he straightened himself just as Kristie turned to him to scold him gently for provoking Finn.

When Finnick was finally breathing normally again, Kristie released her grasp, tilting her head to the door and walking towards it. "C'mon, we've gotta go." The way she said it suggested they were leaving for some other endeavor than to just go home.

Finn grumbled under his breath about shady rhinos and underhanded foxes as he passed Nick, sparing him a dirty look. Nick shrugged unapologetically, following both the other foxes out– but not without hesitating at the exit and looking back over his shoulder at Judy.

She felt small and lost under his gaze as she stood aimlessly between the tables, a diminutive swatch of grey amidst a sea of baby pinks, soft yellows, and sky blues. Holding her finished cup of ice cream in one paw while the other clutched at her arm, it seemed almost like she was trying to shield herself from something. When their eyes met, he quickly looked away, and Judy swallowed. Something that read like guilt or shame had marbled his face just long enough that she'd caught it.

Judy tried not to care so much, exhaling slowly when the bell above the door signaled the trio's departure. Her head snapped up when she felt a paw on her shoulder.

"Judy…" Ben began falteringly. Judy tensed, waiting for the obvious question– _are you ok?_ – and she cursed Ben's uncanny ability to read her. But her friend seemed to sense her unease and settled for squeezing her shoulder instead. "Wanna go out for lunch? You know how Ratatouille's comfort foods are. Plus, they've got that vegetarian menu that is to _die_ for."

The implication was there without being pushy or forceful, and Judy found herself nodding. She needed a pick-me-up, even if the warmth of good food was incomparable to the warmth that a certain somebody's smart smirk and clever– if awful– puns brought.

—

The semester was coming to a close, which meant _finals_. Which meant sitting in the library for hours, working and reworking problem after problem, analyzing and dissecting sentence structure and word choice. Which meant time management, rushed snack and bathroom breaks, no distractions–

" _Carrots!_ "

Her eyebrows furrowed. She was pretty sure she'd just heard her name hissed from behind that bookshelf, but she really needed to get this theory down, and her head was spinning so much from making sense of it all that she was probably going a little crazy. And it was only her in this corner, so who could've spoken, anyways?

"Hey, _rabbit!_ "

Alright, that definitely wasn't her name. Come to think of it, neither was Carrots… she turned to the shelving, mouth set in a hard line. "Nick?" She asked, a little grumpy from being interrupted.

He slid out from behind the rows of books, slick as usual and tugging at the collar of his uniform nervously. "I need your help."

Her irritable expression dropped, concern taking its place. "What's wrong? Are you ok?" She began closing her textbook, keeping a finger between the pages to mark her spot.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Nick answered distractedly as he surveyed the room. Despite his lack of explanation, Judy was already forming a plan of action in her head, ready to go where he needed her to. Nick seemed to realize this when he finally looked back at her, because his body slouched in relief. "I've gotta go see my dad, and, uh, I need someone to keep an eye out for me while I'm there."

Judy blinked. "See your dad…" She repeated cautiously. "You mean… in…" Her voice trailed off, and Nick scuffed his toe against the carpet.

"Yeah."

She started sweeping her school supplies haphazardly into her bag, eyes glued to Nick. "You want _me?_ "

The wording flustered him, and he began to ramble thoughtlessly. "Finnick's busy and none of the guys at school really, uh, get it, so I'm not about to ask them, and Kristie hates visiting the prison, so I wasn't gonna make _her_ do it. But– but you don't have to go, I can go on my own, I just..." his shoulders sagged, and he finished lamely, "there's nobody else."

Judy shook her head, heart sitting in her stomach. He'd only asked her because she'd been his last resort. "No, it's fine, I'll go."

—

Her ears had gone limp during his fumbling explanation, and she was having trouble meeting his eyes after. The walk to the penitentiary was awkward and quiet, giving him a lot of time to reflect on what the hell had just happened.

Truth be told, even though he'd said none of his friends understood, he barely understood it himself. Something about walking into the prison and seeing his dad made him lower his guard.

Usually he considered himself a pretty put-together individual. Fronting came easily to him, and very little ruffled his feathers (or fur, in his case). He knew what people wanted from him, and he'd learned it was better– easier, even– to meet _that_ expectation than it was to, well… be himself.

Emerson, Duke, the twins, the entire group at school– in fact, _everybody_ at school– saw him the way everybody saw foxes: a compulsive non-trier who was only there to get his damn high school diploma while having a relatively easy and good time doing it. Somebody who didn't think beyond immediate satisfaction, looking for the quickest and easiest way to get his fix.

Then there was Kristie. Sweet, passive Kristie, who Nick put himself on his best-behavior for because what she wanted– maybe even needed– was a guy who was as content as she was to just get by in life.

It wasn't that Kristie was ignorant to all the stereotypes, but that was the thing– she knew them and she was so _okay_ with them, had even planned out her entire life to work around the prejudice in a way that wouldn't cause her pain. And she seemed to think Nick was the same except _more_ , in that if she waited long enough or tried hard enough, she'd be able to dig away at his hard exterior to find that sweet, idealist kit she'd chased around the swing set in kindergarten. So then she could have her happy ending: a happy fox that was ok with not amounting to much in the name of ease and comfort.

Which, he was beginning to realize, was exactly what he had been, even if any happiness he'd gained had been shallow.

Maybe the fact was that he'd bought into these ideas of himself. Had thought it was normal, even, to let himself be defined by what everybody else wanted to define him by because everybody else was doing it. Like Duke. The guy had a good chance at soccer, but every goal was written off with the excuse that he was probably cheating and just too slippery to get caught doing it, so he never tried out for the team, never let himself get too invested in the sport. And the twins, who were always blowing things up in their garage because if they did it at school, everybody would just think they were dumb timber wolves who had no idea what they were doing.

All this to say that Kristie was the safe choice, the right choice even. Maybe Nick would never get what he _wanted_ if he ended up with her, but he'd have what he needed, right? Wasn't that good enough?

And sure, it was sad to watch Kristie hope for the happy little thing he used to be– the reality being that if she ever did manage to chip past the breezy facade, all she'd find was someone who was a lot more _tired_ than he let on. But pretending that nothing got to him was a hell of a lot easier and less scary than coming to terms with how _not_ ok he was. Plus, pretending was practically second nature after all his years of experience.

What he wanted was impractical anyways. Any good he'd hoped to contribute to the world had been muzzled in that stupid basement all those years ago.

Truthfully, Finnick was the only person who had any idea what Nick was like underneath all the bravado, and that was only because he'd stumbled upon the crying kit that fateful night, seeing the muzzle on the ground by him and connecting the dots before pulling Nick to his feet and telling him (well, snarling, really) that he knew just the thing that would "get his shit together."

Years of "getting his shit together" with Finn taught Nick that the tiny fox was less than satisfied with his own labels, but found no way to defy them because he'd entrenched himself so deeply _into_ them when he was younger. So all he could do now was be angry all the time, especially at society, which he felt was half-responsible for driving him into that corner.

"The other half–" Finnick had slurred in a drunken stupor one night when Nick was rummaging through his fridge. He'd just exiled himself from his house after a frustrating disagreement with his mom, and it was lucky that Finn had been home at all, even if he was stupid drunk. "– was me, Nicky. Don't ever sell yourself short."

That was the first and only time Nick had ever heard Finn so close to tears, even if a second later he'd snapped, "And don't fight with your fuckin' mother," mood changing so fast it gave Nick whiplash. "She's one of those good moms, not a shit mom like the one I had. So go fuckin' tell her you're a little shit and that you're sorry."

Then he'd promptly fallen asleep, and after Nick had thrown a ragged quilt over his friend's shoulders and left a glass of water and Aardvil on the table, he'd stopped by a 24/7 drug store to pick up flowers.

That was also the night Nick had put two and two together, figuring out that Finn felt responsible for how he turned out. And even if Finn's methods were… _unconventional_ , he was trying. Maybe Finn was afraid that Nick would end up as angry and jaded as he was, all that pent-up resentment bottled up in such a small container. His attempts were half-successful– Nick wasn't angry, just… resigned to his fate at this point.

Which probably explained why Finn was so quick to jump on board when he'd found out about Judy, because he thought Judy could shake Nick out of his complacency. He wasn't wrong, except Nick had picked Kristie, so he was too late… Not that a bunny would even consider putting herself up with a fox, natural enemies and all. Honestly, even without all the complications of a committed relationship, he was waiting for this whole tentative-friendship-thing to blow up in his face. It'd happened once already.

But for some reason… for some reason, he still couldn't keep himself away, despite knowing that any chance of things ever being ok between him and Hopps was small. "You want _me?_ " She had asked, and it had thrown him _so_ off course because as much as he didn't think they would work out, she'd still been the first person he'd thought of after Finn, but he hadn't thought about _why_.

(There was also his initial misinterpretation of thinking she was asking if he wanted her at all, _period_ , and it had flustered him so badly that the dumbest explanation had come out of his mouth. He still needed to figure out what _that_ was all about.)

Now, though, he couldn't _stop_ thinking about it. Why, why, _why?_ Because she'd questioned if he really _was_ just a fox? Because she'd suggested that maybe he _wasn't?_ Because she was the reason why he suddenly wanted more than to just pretend nothing fazed him?

At the time of the fight, he'd thought he was angry at her for having no idea what it was like for sly foxes or sneaky weasels, brainless wolves or dirty rats. She was just a dumb bunny, he'd snarled to himself in the aftermath of that storm, stewing in his anger at her naivety. A dumb bunny who should've been doing dumb bunny things, like sleeping with whatever came her way and struggling with her remedial classes while she tended to whatever vegetable garden she had at home that was preparing her for a lifetime of farming–

_Oh,_ he'd thought immediately, understanding dawning on him. _Fuck_.

That was the thing about Judy: she was a lot of, "oh. Fuck." Because everything about her flew in the face of what he'd come to know. Everybody else was content to let him do his thing– _he_ had become content to just cruise on by– encouraging him to just try to make it out alive, even if that meant settling or faking. Nobody asked questions because nobody thought what he was doing was questionable.

Not Judy, though. Never Judy, he was learning. When he'd told her he was a fox, he'd really believed that that was all there was to it, childhood dreams be damned. It wasn't until after their spat that he'd begun to doubt a little, and then eventually realized his anger wasn't because she didn't get it, but because she _did_ get it… and perfectly, too, because she was a _rabbit_ , and people thought certain things about rabbits. Judy _knew_ prejudice– sure, a different flavor and variety, but grown in the same garden– which meant he no longer had an excuse, cause if a "dumb bunny" could do it, if a "dumb bunny" could even at least _try_ … well, why _not_ a sly fox?

And he knew, even if he had to grit his teeth and clench his fist just to admit it, that he could. Sticking himself in a visiting booth with his dad was the number one reminder, because his dad's entire life had been him trying to fight the odds. Even with chains around his ankles, he was still fighting and it was why he needed his mom or Finn there– because he _hated_ that nagging thought that he could be so much more, and he needed to put somebody else between himself and his father's loving, hopeful face. Nick was always relieved when he stepped out of the penitentiary because the weight of disappointing his father would drop off his shoulders.

But now there was _Judy_.

Judy, who was catching on too quickly for his taste. Judy, who didn't push or prod at him to "hurry up and be better." Judy, who knew he could change but didn't _make_ him, who had been sorry for her own ignorance even though he'd been just as blind, Judy who was trying to see things from his point of view, trying to be a better friend even though _he_ was the one who'd shouted at her and called her dumb.

She'd hopped in with her hard-headed, "don't tell me what I can and can't be!" attitude, practically taking over his life. As a result, he was starting to believe things could change because _she_ believed things could change, even if change took time.

Whereas Kristie's patience with him was because the vixen thought it would produce her desired result (a domesticated, docile reynard), Judy's patience was purely because she knew she couldn't force Nick to be anything he didn't want to be. After their fight, she hadn't mentioned anything even _remotely_ related to his potential. But he no longer needed her prompting– he was thinking about it enough on his own.

"Is there something on my face?" Judy scrubbed at her face with her paws, and Nick realized he'd been staring at her the whole time he'd been thinking.

Quickly, he responded, "Yeah. Right–" Judy cocked her head, dropping her paws as Nick leaned in to get whatever it was. His serious gaze morphed into a toothy grin, and he tweaked her ear. "There."

Judy scowled. "Dumb fox."

"You know you love me," he chided, folding his hands behind his head while Judy rolled her eyes. They walked the rest of the way in silence, any existing tension diffused because of his comfortable snarky-ness.

When they finally made it to the drab, ominous building, Nick stopped to take a few deep, preparatory breaths. Judy, who hadn't noticed her friend come to a stop, plowed on, ready to practically tear the door open in her haste to get inside. Fortunately, she noticed the lack of his reflection in the glass door, so she turned back around.

He was still standing at the foot of the steps, so she bounded back down, stopping by his side. "You didn't have to," he commented, taking his first step up.

"I know," she replied lightly, patting his arm as she followed him. "I wanted to."

He felt his throat tighten, and he replied, voice a little rough, "Carrots–"

"Take your time," she interrupted, gently taking one of his wrists in her paw and squeezing reassuringly. And he found himself thinking that if there was any way to describe what his relationship with Judy had become, it was through their current situation: her leading him in the right direction at his own pace.

When they finally made it to the top, Judy let go, watching him as he concentrated on breathing slowly and evenly. "You ready?" She asked quietly, nodding towards the entrance.

"Wait," he murmured. Her paw, which had been reaching for the handle, jumped away like she'd been scalded. She looked at him expectantly as he tried to gather his words and feelings into one place. "Hopps– Judy– I…"

The desire to pull her into his arms and press his nose into the space between her ears was overwhelming, but he had a _girlfriend_ now, and smothering other girls with tight hugs longer than ten seconds while nuzzling them was _not_ what good boyfriends did.

So he settled for a harmless, if lackluster, expression of gratitude. "Thanks."

Smiling slightly, Judy shrugged a shoulder. After a moment of deliberation, she said, "I know."

Nick swallowed. "You didn't have to."

Softly, she repeated familiar words. "I wanted to."

_Take your time_ , she'd said.

He hoped she meant it.

—

a/n: omg… this chapter was such a long wait, thanks for being patient! Some things in my life went a lil' haywire, not to mention this chapter came out so verbal-vomit-y, so there was so much to refine. Probably one of the hardest chapters to write so far. But I diD IT! I DID IT!

Anyways, in other news, i FELE LIKE THE BALL IS FINALLY ROLLING! Although to be honest, I feel like that with every chapter. I'm kind of amazed because I originally intended this fic to be four chapters– one per semester. Hahaha, yeah, I know, I'm laughing at myself, too. Eight chapters in, and I'm only _just_ finishing the first semester! Gah! "Jokes on you, Lisa!" HAHAHA.

But it's fun and it's a nice challenge, so I can only hope you guys are enjoying this as much as I am!


	9. Chapter 9

**Boys Like You**

—

Judy's padded quietly across the cold, stone flooring, while the nails of Nick's toes clicked rhythmically against the tiling. After what felt like an eternity of walking, exacerbated by the dampness and monochrome coloring of the prison, Nick stopped in front of a wide entrance, directing the both of them to the pillar on the side.

"Wait here," Nick demanded, voice muffled as he rifled through his backpack. When he finally found what he was looking for, he handed his bag to Judy, who took it obediently. In his hands was a fork and a clear to-go box. The slice of blueberry pie in it was a little smushed at the tip, and syrup pooled in a corner of the tupperware, blue and viscous.

"I thought silverware wasn't allowed?" Judy asked, cocking her head. She wondered if Mrs. Wilde had made it for her husband.

Nick shook his head. "It isn't, but the guards know me. And it's plastic, anyways." He took a step back, still watching Judy a little nervously. "Just stay right here, ok? Don't move. Don't talk to anybody."

Judy nodded, clutching his bag tighter to herself as she watched him walk a short distance away before seating himself in a plastic chair. She'd never thought Nick was small for a fox, but the separators towering to either side of him certainly made him _look_ small. And when what she could only assume was his dad took a seat across from him, she awed at how sturdy the reynard looked compared to Nick's slighter frame.

The facility was very quiet overall. There were only a few visitors at this hour, and they were all speaking softly, hunching closely to the glass windows to hear and be heard, which was why Judy was able to catch some of Nick's conversation with Mr. Wilde, who was speaking at an unabashedly normal volume.

"Where's your mom?" His voice was rich and warm and friendly.

"Mr. Vulpezzo needed her to take a shift at the last minute, so she couldn't come."

"You came on your own?" The surprise he felt was easy to read, and Judy gathered that Nick never came alone if he could help it.

Sure enough, Nick's response was a little sheepish. "I– no. I asked my… friend to come with me. She's over there." He waved a paw in her general vicinity.

Judy gave a small wave, feeling uncharacteristically shy in front of Nick's dad. When he grinned back and lifted a hand, Judy was bewildered for a minute over how similar he looked to Nick. Flustered, she laughed for no reason other than to distract herself from the heat rising to her cheeks.

She half expected Nick's dad to call her over for a proper introduction, so she hoped against all hope that the distance at which she was standing was enough of a sign that she wasn't there to do anything but keep a look out for Nick and that she didn't really merit an introduction.

Thankfully, Mr. Wilde didn't ask for anything more, satisfied with their short but pleasant exchange.

Judy watched for a second longer as Nick slid the pie and fork through the opening in the window. When his father snapped the container open, she turned her head away to give the two of them privacy, trying to focus on something else to keep her from eavesdropping.

A distraction came 15 minutes later in the form of a surly, booming voice, pulling her out of her bored examination of the slow activity in the lobby. "The cuffs are too tight, boss."

A rhino, clad in the standard-issue orange jumpsuit, was scowling at the handcuffs he was trapped in. Sure enough, there were angry red welts circling his wrists– but the officer pulling him paid no heed, jerking the chains yet again.

Eyes narrowing, Judy piped up, "He said he's _hurt_ , officer."

The ram startled, doing a double-take when he finally understood that it was Judy speaking.

She repeated herself. "His cuffs are too tight. Shouldn't you loosen them?" Still squinting, Judy glared down the officer until he acquiesced.

As he grumbled and fiddled with the chains, the rhino began to chortle. "What's a lil' bun like you doin' here, cutie?"

Smiling patiently, Judy shrugged nonchalantly and replied, "I'm waiting for someone. And please don't call me that, sir. It's one thing if another bunny does it–"

"Aw, she's trying to talk to me!" The rhino shook with laughter, drawing attention to himself and Judy (if his sheer girth in the bright orange jumpsuit wasn't enough to catch everybody's eye). The chains around his wrists clanked together from the force of his laughter, and the officer leading him sighed, tugging at the rhino to hurry up. But he stood his ground, taking his time as he caught his breath. "Can't hear you from this high up, bun bun!"

A few of the other offenders who were also being led by officers joined in the rhino's hysterics. Momentarily stunned, Judy blinked dumbly a few times before her face twisted just enough to show her displeasure. Voice clipped, she reigned in her temper. " _Excuse me?_ "

Wiping at tears, the rhino huffed out patronizingly, "You don't belong here, little bunny! This is a _big, bad_ prison for _big, bad_ mammals!"

She'd never seen so much red in her life, and unadulterated rage coursed through her veins. Her entire body was vibrating and her fists were balled up so tightly that her nails bit into her skin, sure to leave little pinprick marks. Nick's bag lay in a heap on the ground, all but forgotten.

"Oh, did I make you angry, bun bun?" He jeered, voice rising an octave as if he were talking to a baby. "Are you gonna gimme a good whack with your feet, Thumper? Or you gonna use your teeth instead?"

"I just _helped_ you," Judy seethed, grinding out her words from between her teeth. Her ears were straight, stiff, and pointed back.

"I could've handled it on my own," he drawled back, jerking his leash from the ram and snorting when the officer lurched a little.

"What is your _problem?_ "

A low, deep rumble settled in the mammal's chest as he looked down at her coldly. "My problem is _you_ , bun. Whaddyou think you're doing here?"

"You have a problem with me _being_ here?" Judy cried incredulously.

The officer finally seemed to gain control of the situation, and having had enough, yanked forcefully at the rhino's chain. This time, the rhino stumbled a little, but still managed to press himself into Judy's space. Any other time she would've flinched, but her fury kept her grounded. "You don't belong here– and I've got a problem with all of your lot," the rhino snarled in her face. "Lucky bastards– what I'd do to cut off one of your kind's feet!"

Just as Judy was about to retort, she was wrenched away by her shoulder. Nick stepped in front of her, glaring at the rabble-rouser she was confronting. Voice low, he growled, "Leave her alone, Roth."

The rhino– Roth, Judy now knew– looked taken aback, but the confounded expression was only temporary. His posture immediately became closed off. "Shoulda known she was with you, Wilde. Got a habit of bringing goody-two-shoes into prison, huh? Your entire family into docility, or is it a 'like father like son' kinda thing?" His words were outwardly innocent enough, but the undercurrent of suggestion and lewd gleam in his gaze made Judy's fur crawl.

"You're disgusting, fuck off." Nick grumbled, hastily picking his bag off the ground and pulling Judy forcibly away by her wrist.

Wincing, Judy wrestled her paw away from him, cradling it against herself. Nick stopped, and Judy hopped straight into him, yelping a bit on impact. When she looked up at him to ask what was wrong, his eyes were hard and clouded with irritation.

Her ears flattened. "Sorry, it was just– you were hurting me." She hated that her voice sounded so small to her own ears. And it wasn't like she wasn't tough enough to endure his vice-like grip, but it just hadn't seemed necessary. She could've followed without him leading her.

Nick's face softened, and he looked a little sorry. "I told you not to talk to anybody."

"It's ok," Judy said at the same time, thinking he'd been ready to apologize. "Wait, what?"

He furrowed his eyebrows and repeated himself. "I _told_ you not to talk to anybody. What were you gonna do if my dad hadn't gone to the bathroom and I hadn't checked on you?"

Judy made a noise of disbelief. "I was supposed to stand there and ignore everything that was happening?"

" _Yes?_ "

" _No!_ " Judy exclaimed, appalled. "He was _hurt!_ "

"Yeah?" Nick replied, looking expectantly at Judy as he continued to walk back to his seat. She nodded vigorously, ready to argue her case. Instead, Nick's mouth turned down at the corners as he pulled up a chair for her. "Well he was _also_ a jackass, so your helping him was useless."

"Not true," Judy huffed, folding her arms. "I'm not gonna not help someone just because they're a bad person."

Nick gave her a look. "Are you listening to yourself?"

Scowling at her feet for just a second before looking up, Judy sighed. "Look, it's not like I'm assisting him in his criminal activity. His… wrists were hurting." She shoved her own wrists underneath her folded arms, trying to hide them from view.

Nick noticed anyways, and he swallowed. "Judy–"

"It's fine, Nick. You were afraid, I get it." She shrugged, speaking shyly. "It's just… that's the thing about fear, you know? It usually ends up hurting people. And, yeah, Roth's not a good guy, I get that, too. But he wasn't hurting anybody, and I didn't know he was going to unleash his… his…"

As she tried to find the right word, her face contorted to various degrees until Nick intervened. "Prejudiced, backwards opinions?"

Judy paused and quirked a smile. "Yeah, that." She sat back into her seat, relaxing. "I didn't know he was like that. But knowing and not knowing– why should it change if I help someone who's actually in trouble? I dunno, Nick, I just can't help thinking that suffering doesn't discriminate. And… I couldn't help but think about your dad, because he's innocent, but he's still here." Her face turned beet red when she saw Nick staring at her strangely. "Which is probably hypocritical of me! I mean, after how we met– what I said and did to you – _oh god!_ " She pressed her face into her paws with shame.

"No, no, I get it, fluff. It's just…" He smiled at her, but the tilt on his lips mixed with his perplexed eyes created an overall effect of discomfort. Shifting restlessly in his seat, he shook his head, nose twitching before he rubbed it awkwardly. "Nah, nevermind. Anyways, it's not like I didn't do the same thing to you when we met."

"What were you going to say?" Judy prodded, cocking her head.

He rearranged his weight on his seat again, clearly ill at ease. "You just… reminded me of my dad for a second. Speak of the devil," Nick quickly turned his seat back to the window, effectively cutting Judy off.

"Oh, lookit that," Mr. Wilde rumbled appreciatively, addressing Judy. "Your friend's decided to join us! What's the occasion?"

"She was being harassed by Roth."

" _Ooooh_ ," the older fox looked at her apologetically. "I'm sorry you had to experience that, Mrs…?"

"Oh! Oh no, just Judy is fine! No titles here," she rambled out, laughter coming out a little high and stressed. She saw Nick watching her from the corner of her eye, trying to hide his amused little grin, but at least his dad seemed completely none-the-wiser to her strange antics.

"'Just Judy' it is," Mr. Wilde winked, and Nick's amusement dissipated immediately at the cliché dad joke. "I'm Nathan, but 'Just Nate' is fine."

Nick groaned, sliding his hand over his face. "He does this to everyone," he groused from between his fingers.

Even though Nate continued as if he hadn't heard his son at all, there was a gleam in the inky green of his eyes. "Glad to meet a friend of Nick's that I've never seen before, for once."

"It's nice to meet you, too," Judy returned sweetly, ducking her head shyly.

"Don't mind Roth, he's a bit biased. Your privilege makes him angry, which is understandable, but he does lean on the aggressive side of angry."

 _Privilege_. The word made a light flicker on in Judy's head, and now, more clearly than before, she understood what Roth's hang-up was. For all the reasons she felt trapped– to be thought of as a dumb bunny, viewed eternally as not only harmless, but also aimless and lacking the brain cells necessary to amount to anything other than agriculture, skilled only in the realms of produce and reproduction– Roth saw how free she was. Nobody would ever peg her as a criminal, nobody would ever distrust her simply because of her stature.

It made her wonder if Roth's criminal record was because, like Nick or Finnick or any of the others she knew, he'd felt as if there'd been no other option. Maybe he'd made one mistake in his childhood, and everything had spiraled out of control since.

Something about that– the possibility that _society_ had forced individuals who may not have had any inclination towards crime into criminal lifestyles… well, it made her blood boil. And she knew that it wasn't as if the people sitting in these cells weren't responsible. After all, ultimately they were the ones who could've said _yes_ or _no_ to whatever had landed them in confinement. But… it was just the thought that maybe saying _no_ got harder every time someone said, "You'll never amount to anything because of they way you were born." And maybe these mammals had started to believe that.

Judy recalled her parents, at one point, trying to convince her that she shouldn't go to the city for schooling. "You're a bunny," they'd said. "A city's too hectic for a little thing like you. It'll be hard for you to get noticed– you might not even get noticed at all. Wouldn't you be happier growing carrots? _We're_ happy!" Judy had looked at them skeptically, because as much as she knew her parents were happy, she also couldn't help but to think that they'd learn to be content on the basis of settling, because _they_ didn't believe they could amount to more.

"Us bunnies have to stick together, or we'll get hurt. It's not safe out there. Judy, you're still a bunny, and you've gotta consider that."

 _You're still a bunny_. That was what had erased the niggling doubt in the back of her mind that questioned if she was making the right decision. She didn't believe that being a bunny should stop her from doing anything. Sure, her parents did, most of her family did, heck, probably all of bunny burrow believed it, but she wasn't satisfied with what sounded like an excuse. So she'd put her foot down and told her parents that nothing– _nothing_ – was going to stop her from going to the best high school (and then the best university) in the city. And if she had to work twice as hard to get where she wanted just because other's thought she couldn't do it, then so be it. But she wasn't going to stop on account of a label or stereotype. She'd always been stubborn and self-willed, though. Roth might not have been like that.

Her thoughts ended on that note, and she realized she'd just zoned out of whatever conversation she'd been engaged in with Mr. Wilde and Nick. Thankfully, they'd moved on without her, and she tuned into the conversation.

"How are your ZCTs?"

Nick shrugged noncommittally, making an ambiguous noise to match. "Fine."

A disappointed shadow passed over Nate's face. "That's all?"

"Yeah."

The way Nick hunched in on himself and sighed, as if waiting for the next round of interrogation, suggested that he was use to this line of questioning from his dad. Nate seemed to recognize Nick's reluctance as well, attempting to lighten the mood as he continued. "Alright, that's fine! Have you been thinking about what you're going to do?"

Haltingly, Nick replied, "Finnick's got a friend who offered me a managerial position at one of his shops after I graduate." His eyes wouldn't meet Nate's, whose own eyes looked sad.

"Is that what you want?"

"Sure," Nick shrugged.

There was a tense silence, and Judy awkwardly looked around the room, wishing she were anywhere but here. Then, as if to make things even harder and more uncomfortable, Nate asked her, "What about you, Judy? How are your ZCTs?"

"Oh, I'm just a sophomore," she replied, waving a paw. Although, she _had_ been thinking about the Zootopia College Tests. It was exam season, after all, and thinking about her GPA always led to thinking about applying to UCZ, which meant thinking about how high she'd have to score on the ZCTs.

"Alright then, any future plans?"

Without a second of thought, she said, "I'm not sure, but I've been thinking about applying to the ZPD academy."

" _What?!_ " Nick blurted, the first non-lethargic action he'd performed in a while. Suddenly, every limb of his body was in motion. "Are you _insane?_ "

Immediately after the sentence had left her mouth, she had begun to ask herself exactly what Nick had just asked. She'd had no idea where the words, or even the _idea_ had come from, and they'd surprised her as much as they'd surprised Nick. However, instead of voicing those thoughts, something about Nick's incredulity made her feel a little miffed. What was so unbelievable about her wanting to be a cop, huh? "What's the problem, slick?" She narrowed her eyes at Nick, daring him to say what she thought he was thinking.

He spluttered. "You're a _rabbit!_ "

"Thanks," she quipped sarcastically, widening her eyes. "I've lived 16 years of my life and had absolutely _no_ idea."

"You'll _die!_ "

" _What!_ " Judy cried, raising her hands in disbelief, face twisted in a _what the hell_ kind of way.

He slapped a hand over his face as he leaned backwards, letting out an exasperated groan. "Why don't you have _any_ sense of self-preservation?" He bemoaned, sounding a little desperate. "What's _wrong_ with you?"

Judy huffed, folding her arms and glaring at the floor. "I can be a cop if I want to," she said matter-of-factly, even though her mind was screaming at her, _where is all of this coming from?!_

"Oh my _god_ ," Nick practically whined, swinging forward so that his forehead banged against the counter. "What is _wrong_ with you?" The way he said it, like he wanted to cry from her perceived stupidity, was actually pretty funny, and Judy felt her resentment recede. She had to purse her lips to keep from giggling. Thankfully, Nick didn't notice and continued, "Don't you _get it?_ "

Maintaining a clipped, cool tone, Judy raised an eyebrow. "Get what?"

"There's never _been_ a bunny cop!"

"I guess I'll just have to be the first," she replied flippantly, lifting her shoulders. Nick's head snapped up. They stared at each other for a second– his eyes were wide and green and unblinking, filled with frustration, while Judy's were collected and uncaring of his judgment.

He squinted at her, then turned to his dad. "Tell her she's insane."

The entire time, Mr. Wilde had been observing his son's interaction with the bunny, amusement growing exponentially with every sentence exchanged. When Nick looked at him to confirm Judy's madness, he quickly sorted his grinning face into a neutral expression. "I like her. Good pick, son."

Both high schoolers blushed, Nick more than Judy. "That's not what I _asked_ you," he hissed, voice quiet as he looked around a little nervously, as if somebody in the prison was going to overhear and then tell the entire world.

"Plus, he's, uh, dating someone else. I'm not his girlfriend," Judy re-adjusted herself in her seat, fidgeting.

Nate blinked, then smiled slightly at the two of them. _To be young and stupid again_. "Of course. I meant that he picked a good friend."

Something about his expression read like he knew something more, and Judy's faintly pink face brightened red so quickly, she was comparable to a traffic light. Nick was practically steaming at the ears. Both of them took deliberate care not to look at each other.

"Although you two do seem to fight like–"

"Will you _look_ at the _time_ ," Nick said abruptly, practically shouting as he stood up. The chair banged against the separator, startling Judy. Nick twisted left and right, picking up his bag and making sure he hadn't dropped anything.

Mr. Wilde was shaking with suppressed laughter, looking almost as if he were in pain. Judy got up, pushed her seat in, and waited for Nick to round up whatever it was he was looking for. "It was nice meeting you, Mr. Wilde. I… I hope you get to leave soon." As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them, feeling as if she'd overstepped her boundaries.

But Nate just smiled. "It'll be some time, but I'll be out before you know it. Might be sooner though, if you become a cop and pull some strings for me," he winked at her, and she grinned.

"Hey fluff, I've actually gotta talk to my dad about something private, so if you could just wait at the door and _not_ talk to anybody this time, that'd be great."

She returned his smug grin with her own reluctant one, rolling her eyes all the while before stepping away.

"Hope I see you again!" Nate called brightly and a little too innocently. Judy waved, hopping backwards.

" _Dad_ ," she heard Nick reprimand, and she chuckled to herself.

—

"How'd you meet her?" His dad asked.

The question was innocuous enough, but he knew his dad. Nick settled for the easy answer, something he thought his dad wouldn't be able to dissect. "We're in the same calculus class."

"And?"

"She needed help with homework."

Nate nodded his head, and Nick believed he was in the clear until his dad smiled mischievously at him. "Tutoring, and now meeting the family? How does that work, son?"

Grumbling, Nick kicked at the leg of the counter. "Hardly. She hasn't met mom. And–" he looked at his dad crossly, "I don't plan for her to."

"You'll break your poor mother's heart," Nate sighed, leaning back, folding his arms and shaking his head slowly. "Trish would love her."

Nick grimaced. "Yeah, well…"

Humming, Nate quirked a smile at his son before mercifully dropping the topic. "What was it you needed to ask me?"

Shame flooded Nick's face instantaneously. "Dad, if Roth gives you any trouble, tell me, ok?"

His dad's easygoing smile dropped, replaced with concern. "What happened? Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. Finnick's a little cut up, but he'll be fine. I accidentally… I messed up, and his kid's looking for me. I'm just nervous that Roth'll try to get to you."

"Nick," Nate murmured, leaning towards his son, eyes gentle, if a little tired. "How long has this been going on?"

"A month. Maybe a month and a half. Maybe… two months," Nick mumbled, unable to meet his father's eyes. "I'm sorry," he said contritely. He felt like he was four years old and he'd just been caught pulling up his mother's beloved tulips again.

"It's fine, I'll deal with it." Raising his eyes, Nick found his dad peering sadly, somberly at him. "Nicky, you know I love you, right? If you don't, well, I love you. You're my favorite son."

Nick– an only kit– felt his lip curl to the side at his dad's joke. Nate's own face grew lighter, more relieved. "Love you too, dad."

After a satisfied exhale, Nate clasped his paws together and settled his chin on to them, looking up at Nick. "Just do me a favor, ok?"

Nick nodded, looking a little wary. "Alright."

"Hang out with Judy more."

—

a/n: Thank you all so much for your patience! :")) And thank you so much for all the loving reviews and all the enthusiasm! Seriously, one of the highlights of my day (EVERY day) is reading all of your thoughts.

Also, shoutout to softlight289 for the lovely, amazing fanart! I just googled: post/145256137282/zootopia-boys-like-you-high-school-au-i-just

And on tumblr, judy-hoppswilde and their fanart that I realized I never mentioned? I dunno why? Because it's fantabulous? post/143412349807/hoppinwildelys-fic-boys-like-you-is-so-good-u

Well, I've got the entire plot drafted out, and I'm finally satisfied with it! So far, I've learned that as exciting and lovely as having the story out in my head is, the real labor is in the writing. Connecting the plot points together smoothly so that nothing reads awkwardly can be a doozy. Every chapter, I think to myself, "after _this_ one, the _ball will get rollin'!_ " Except then I realize, wait, I can't just jump from _this_ event to _this_ event without developing these several things along the way. The development chapters can be hard to write because I'm more eager to write the parts where Judy and Nick ARE TOGETHER! ARE HAVING MOMENTS! But I also know they've gotta have their own moments, and I have to sit myself down, take a breath, and just WRITE 'EM OUT. I always think I'll have the hardest time with it, but halfway through the chapter, I'm actually enjoying myself, so it's been good HAHAHA.

I'm just rambling now… LOL.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOL 3 chapters in one day because uuuuh I'm really really REALLY bad at updating AO3 hAHAHA oh god i'm sorry


	10. Chapter 10

“So,” Nick began, paws behind his head as he walked beside Judy. He tried for an air of nonchalance. “A cop?” 

When she rolled her eyes to the sky, clearly wishing he would just forget the topic, Nick dropped his hands and shrugged. “No, Carrots, I _genuinely_ want to know. Was that a thing this entire time? You know, this entire semester…” He pointed his finger between the two of them. “You just never brought it up? Maybe, ah, you forgot to mention it?”

Judy peered at Nick quizzically, picking up on his overly casual inflection. “No, I… I only thought about it just now.”

She caught a short second of relief flicker across his face before he groaned. “It was Roth, wasn’t it?” He spun around, thrusting his hands into the sky and turning his face to the clouds, as if he were pleading to some higher power. “Come _on!_ ” He shouted into the blue, pulling his hands to his eyes and twirling back around while moaning.

During this dramatic display, Judy had been busy chewing her bottom lip, thinking too hard to follow Nick’s antics. Finally, she mustered up the courage to voice her thoughts. “Nick?”

“What, fluff? I’m busy mourning your life.” Nick answered, disgruntled. He shot her a withering glare. “Preemptively.”

Judy chose to ignore him and get to her point. “Did it… bother you that I might’ve been keeping secrets from you?”

His head jerked so fast, he almost walked into the street lamp. Fortunately, his quick reflexes allowed him to (narrowly) dodge the post while also swiftly fixing his completely stupefied expression into one of careful, practiced indifference. “Nah,” he replied coolly. “I just thought it was weird that I never heard you talking about it.”

Despite the steadiness with which his verdant eyes looked ahead, Judy could see right through him. A small smile crept onto her face before she bit it back, simultaneously attempting to curb the joy bubbling in the pit of her stomach. Nick cared. Nick _cared!_

“What’re you smiling at?” He furrowed his eyebrows, still not looking at her, and shoved his paws into his pockets.

“Nothing,” she chirped back, unable to help the little skip she gave. Nick Wilde cared about her, and their friendship was _the real deal_. Judy gave another little skip. 

Nick finally looked at her, canting an eyebrow. “ _Right_.”

This time, Judy leapt forward, twisting to face him. “I’m not keeping any secrets from you.” Copying his gesture from before, she waved her paw between them. “This relationship? This is an open and honest and safe space to share whatever I want.” Then she hopped up to him, poking his chest just once and smirking up at him and his stupid, raised eyebrow. “And whatever _you_ want as well, seeing as how _good_ you are at keeping secrets, slick.”

She fell back into step beside him as he chuckled and said, “Alright. Anything else, Pigmund Freud?”

“Yeah, actually,” Judy retorted. “Don’t patronize my career choices!”

“Me? Patronize?” Nick gasped, pressing his paw to his chest and contorting his face into one of exaggerated hurt. “ _Never_.”

The laughter burst out from her involuntarily, as if she were a balloon and Nick had pressed a needle into her side– which, in fact, was beginning to ache. Grabbing at her waist to ease the stabbing sensation, she bent forward a little to catch her breath, checking Nick in the hip. “Dumb fox,” she managed, peering at him playfully.

He smirked at her. “Dumb bunny.”

Her heart flipped and she cursed herself, because when did stupid nicknames and bad jokes make her heart skip beats? Trying not to dwell on her emotions, she let the rest of the walk finish in companionable silence. And when they finally arrived at Judy’s place, the sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon, washing the sky in oranges and pinks. She fished her keychain out from her bag in the hazy light, working her house key into the lock.

Just as she turned the key and felt the door give, Nick grabbed her arm. When Judy turned to look at him quizzically, his hand fell away, and they were left staring at each other.

“What’s up?” Judy prompted gently, taking her paw off her doorknob to focus all her attention on Nick.

Nick blinked as if he had no idea himself, as if his paw had moved on its own accord. Finally, he seemed to gather the words he needed. “Thanks, Carrots.”

Judy shook her head. “You don’t have to thank me.”

He grinned at her. “Well, you were studying when I picked you up, and we all know how much you hate doing anything that’s not studying.”

Laughing, Judy jostled his shoulder. “You’ve think you’ve got me down to a T, don’t you, fox?”

Nick shrugged the shoulder she’d pushed, rubbing it as he continued smiling at her. “I _know_ I do. You’re a creature of habit, rabbit.”

“Alright then, Langston Hooves,” Judy smirked. “If I’m such a ‘creature of habit’ like you say, what am I doing tomorrow then?”

Putting on a pensive face and cradling his chin between two fingers, Nick answered mock-gravely, “You’ll probably get up at 6 to go for a morning run and come back at 6:30. Breakfast’ll be two carrot waffles, topped with syrup cause you’re feeling a little decadent. You’ll walk to school– that’s 15 minutes– you’ll go to your classes, and then you’ll meet me in the library after.”

“That’s it? My day ends there? With you?”

Nick’s smile returned full-force, all his pearly whites on display. “What better way to end the day?”

For some reason, instead of the snappy reply that had been forming in her head, the words out of her mouth were warm and tempered and paired with a bit of a doting smile. “I guess you’re not wrong. Lucky me, huh?” A sudden flicker of apprehension crossed her face. She chuckled, but it was nervous, as if she’d just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. 

They both knew what the other was thinking. The name lingered between them, unspoken, but understood. _Kristie. Kristie. Lucky Kristie. Not lucky Judy, lucky_ Kristie.

“You should get to the station before it gets too dark,” Judy pressed on, trying to cover the awkward slip-up.

Nick’s mouth was open, as if he wanted to say something to her but his words hadn’t yet caught up to his brain. When he snapped his jaw shut, Judy was left to comprehend on her own what Nick might’ve said, if it had been a different time, a different setting, a different situation.

“Yeah,” he said shortly, stuffing his paws into his pockets and ducking his head. His ears pointed back, and he kept his eyes away from hers. “Yeah, I should go.”

“Night,” Judy murmured, waving as Nick stepped away. He waved back distractedly.

When he disappeared around the corner, Judy shivered. Winter seemed a lot colder than usual this year.

———

She’d been in Bunnyburrow for a week when final grades were issued. 

At the first vibration of her phone (six in the morning. _Who_ was texting her at _six_ in the _morning_?), Judy blinked blearily, hovering in the foggy purgatory between dreams and reality before the weight of sleep dragged her lids back down. But her decision to ignore her phone was quashed by a succession of rapid-fire buzzes. Grumbling under her breath, she snatched her phone off her nightstand, squinting against the brightly lit background. When her eyes adjusted, she was greeted with a blurry picture of a small manilla envelope, followed by several more texts.

**Today** 6:13 AM

**Ben** : i checked ur mailbox for u.

**Ben** : ur grades came in!!!

**Ben** : do u want me to check em for u?

**Ben** : or do u want to wait until u get back so u can look at them urself

**Ben** : to late

**Ben** : DAMN JUDY

**Ben** : bellwether’s got NUTHIN on u!!!

Judy smiled at the series of celebratory emojis he sent.

**Ben** : o wait let me send u a pic

**Judy** : Why are you up at *6*?

**Ben** : ummm y r *U* up at 6??

**Judy** : You woke me!  
**Ben:** o

**Ben** : mg

Ben: sry!!!

Not long after she read Ben’s reply, her phone began to vibrate, and her best friend’s happy (if overly-zoomed in) face filled the screen.

“Judy! I’m so sorry! But hey, you got 104s in all your classes. Except physics. You got a 99 in physics.”

Judy cleared her throat and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, then pushed herself up to sit back against her headboard. “You’re good, don’t worry about it!” Her voice rounded around the syllables as a yawn worked its way out of her, and she raised her phone above her head for a minute to stretch her back. “A 99, huh?” 

“Yeah. But I wouldn’t worry about it ‘cause I heard Dawn got a 99 as well, and a 100 in lit. I’d say you’re good.”

Grinning, Judy shrugged. “I’ll be fine. I was thinking of applying to ZPD’s Academy, so maybe I can go easy on the whole studying thing now. But not too easy,” she corrected hastily. “Gotta always put my best foot forward, ya know?”

The line went so quiet, Judy wasn’t sure if Ben was even breathing. “You… wha? Wha- wha? _Wha?_ ”

She curled into herself a little and said sheepishly, “I forgot to tell you.”

“Um, _yeah_ , you forgot to tell me,” Ben groused, his voice sounding a little far away. He’d put her on speakerphone. “What _happened_ , Judy?” The stress in his voice was palpable, even through the distance between them. “I mean, you were always telling me you didn’t know what you wanted, even though we both know you could be anything. But _this_ … I mean, it’s not that I don’t think you can do it or something. You can do anything, I’ve seen you! But… Judy, I mean… a _cop?_ ”

If only chewing her bottom lip actually helped her think of a way to explain. But a minute of that did absolutely nothing for her, so she took a deep breath and told Ben, “I went to see Nick’s dad. With Nick. In prison.” She clarified, having forgotten that Ben barely knew Nick’s background. “And I just thought… it was just so wrong that he was there. He’s innocent, you know? And maybe, I don’t know, I could see myself being a cop and _actually_ doing the right thing and helping. And yeah, you’re right, I could be a- a doctor, or a lawyer or a biochemical engineer, but I’ve never wanted those things. But a cop? It just… it clicked that day. Something felt right.” The words fell from her mouth thoughtlessly, and as a result, she slumped forward, a little defeated because the entire thing just sounded so _stupid_. How could she make Ben understand?

But she didn’t need to. “I get it,” Ben said quietly. “Like my tryouts.”

Judy tried not to choke on her heart. She _did_ remember, because how could she forget? He’d been a freshman and she’d been in 8th grade; they’d only been friends for a semester when Ben had dragged _her_ of all mammals to the high school football tryouts.

“Football?” Judy had asked skeptically, but not judgmentally. For the past week, she’d been listening to Ben’s tirades about how much he loved cheerleading and dance, but the clubs and teams and everything else Central High had to offer just weren’t doing it for him. “I thought you hated football. And… if you don’t have experience, how… how is this going to work out?” She hadn’t wanted to be that acquaintance that rained on his parade, but _somebody_ had to be realistic.

Glowering, Clawhauser had replied, “Yeah, well, my dad loves it. He never shuts up about it, keeps telling me to just try, has even made me play a little with him. I think he thinks it’ll make me less gay.” The cheetah shot Judy a peeved sort of look. “At this point, I have nothing to lose.”

“Why don’t you just… _not_ join a club?”

“What! That’s no life to live!” Except he hadn’t explained any more than that, and Judy decided maybe it wasn’t her place to ask for any more explanation than that. So she sat on the bleachers, watching and waiting and not entirely understanding what was going on until tryouts were over and Ben had practically _flown_ to her, completely and utterly ecstatic.

Her unsatiated curiosity died a swift death when, breathlessly, Ben had announced that that was it. He’d found his high school calling. And then– even though they knew each other but didn’t _really_ know each other– Ben had tugged her along for milkshakes. Maybe, Judy sometimes still wondered, if none of that had ever happened, well, maybe nothing would have grown between her and Ben, either.

“Like your tryouts,” Judy croaked back.

“You can do it, Juju,” Ben cooed. “Might get eaten alive first, but they’ll spit you back out in no time.” He joked. “You’re a tough bunny.”

Blinking furiously to keep tears at bay, Judy managed to whimper, “Thanks, Ben.”

She could hear him smiling. “You should talk to McHorn.”

Her ears pricked and her tail straightened, rubbing her eyes to clear them from any sentimental fog. “That’s a good idea!”

“He’s gonna be _ecstatic!_ ” Ben sang, and Judy heard a bit of rustling, as if he were dancing. “Ooh, I’m gonna tell him _right_ now. So I gotta go. But I’ll tell you how that goes, and I’ll shoot you his number sometime later. Bye bye, sweet bunny!”

He didn’t even wait for her response. As she pulled the phone away from her ear, she stared affectionately at the end-call screen.

Honestly, if Ben hadn’t texted her, she would’ve forgotten completely about grades and school and her future, content to while away her days being unproductive in the comfort of her home, which included sleeping in until 11 (actually, waking up at eight in the morning but groaning and rolling around restlessly until 11), microwaving whatever last night’s dinner had been for a _really_ late breakfast, ignoring her mother’s worried staring, and engaging in conversation with her family but not really _being_ there.

But now, for the first time since she’d arrived in her hometown, she felt… _energized_. She was ready to take on the world. Ready to bake whatever pies her mother assigned to her, weed whatever lawn her dad asked her to, talk to whoever it took to figure out this whole ZPD thing, maybe even sort out her feelings for Nick and end them once and–

**(200)-332-1474** : McHorn, huh? Good choice. I would’ve gone for Woolford myself.

**(200)-332-1474** : Or maybe Fangmyre?

**(200)-332-1474** : But that’s just cause I’ve got an *awful* aversion to rhinos. ;)

Judy blinked in surprise, train of thought completely derailed as she watched her phone buzz in her hand. Only a second passed before her face broke into a helpless smirk. 

**Judy** : How’d you get my number, slick?

A few taps and swipes, and Nick’s number was saved into her phone. She’d worry about a photo later– _that_ was gonna be fun.

**Nick** : Can always count on good ol’ Ben for the latest news. 

**Nick** : But seriously, does he usually give your number out to anybody who asks? You should probably talk to him about that.

Several butterflies fluttered to life in Judy’s chest at the thought of Nick swindling Ben for _her_ number– to contact _her!_ – and she fell back into her comforter, holding her phone above her head and smiling stupidly at it. When her screen lit up again, she gave a short laugh at the message.

**Nick** : And another thing: a *99*, Carrots? I’m ashamed. We’ll have to work on that.

She bit down her smile as she turned onto her side and tapped out a reply.

**Judy** : I’m only as good as the company I keep!

**Nick** : You wound me.

**Judy** : I’m sure I can bandage your wound with my valedictorian stole. :)

Time passed without her knowing, until her mom’s anxious voice sounded through the wood. “Sweetheart? It’s 11:30. You ok? You’re usually up by now.”

Judy jolted up from her position, checking her phone for the time. “I’m fine! Just slept late, is all,” she answered absent-mindedly, squinting at her screen. Sure enough, it was almost noon, and she swiped through her texts in disbelief. She’d woken up at 6, and now it was 11:30. Her conversation with Nick had started at 7.

A sick feeling twisted in her gut, and she wrenched open her nightstand drawer to thrust her phone into it like it was a burning coal. What was it she said she was going to do today? Bake pies? Mow lawns? Get over her feelings for Nick?

Right.

_Right._

———

“ _You’re_ unusually chipper,” his mom remarked, pulling a pie out of the oven and filling the kitchen with the smell of syrupy, sweet blueberries. When she straightened to her full height, she looked the picture of domesticity, steaming hot pan in her mitted hands while the corners of her eyes wrinkled in an affectionate smile and her tail swished back and forth lazily.

“Really?” Nick replied lightly, slipping his phone into his pocket discreetly. “Well, you know how I feel about the holiday season!”

Mrs. Wilde raised an eyebrow. “You hate the holidays, Nicholas.” Placing the pan down and then pulling the checkered mittens off her hands, she sat into one of the seats around the kitchen table. “Did something happen with Kristie?”

Her eye brightened mischievously in contrast to Nick’s faltering smile. “Nah,” he answered shortly and glibly, shrugging and hoping his mom wouldn’t push the topic. “It’s just my friend.”

“The bunny?” His mom asked innocently. Nick’s head jerked up.

“You know?”

“Your father may have told me some things,” she smiled, getting up and hanging the oven mitts into their usual place. 

Nick swallowed and tugged at his collar, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “Oh yeah? Like what?”

His mother’s smile quieted as she met Nick’s uncomfortable gaze. Then she sighed, chest rising and falling deeply before she picked up the pie pan. “I haven’t seen you smile like that in forever,” she replied.

Nick had no idea what to make of her cryptic comment, but he was itching to know what his mom knew. When she stepped up to Nick, he readied himself to ask, only to have her press a kiss to his forehead and completely disarm him. The smell of cinnamon and pure warmth wrapped around him until she pulled away, patted his cheek, and then brushed past him, voice trailing after her, “We’ll be late if we don’t leave now.”

He stood in the center of the kitchen, working through his confusion when his phone vibrated.His paws fumbled as he worked the device out of his pocket, heart picking up the pace _just_ a little, and pulled it up to eye-level.

**Kristie** : hey! :) what are u doing tomorrow?

His heart sank. Then his eyebrows furrowed, because why did his heart sink? Shaking his head, he tapped out a reply, walking to the car as he did so. Once inside the vehicle, he tried not to over-analyze his own reaction, but it was unavoidable.

So what if Judy hadn’t texted back yet? She was busy doing whatever it was bunnies did over winter break, and she wasn’t Nick’s responsibility. Not the way Kristie was, at least. He and Judy had no obligations to each other. The feeling he’d gotten earlier– disappointment– that was because texting her was fun, and he was always up for a good time. So, being denied that would, of course, lead to disappointment. 

Not that Kristie wasn’t any fun.

“Sweetheart, are you ok?”

“I’m fine,” he responded a little too forcefully. He felt his mom’s concerned gaze and avoided it, reading Kristie’s replies instead.

Kristie was a lot of fun. Good fun. Safe fun. _Yeah_. He was making the right decision. Not… not that there was some kind of choice. He didn’t have a choice.

… Right?


	11. Chapter 11

It’d taken one month for school to finally find its rhythm for Judy, which was unusual and set off alarms in her head that she fought to ignore. Maybe it was because for the first time in her life (which was a very big claim, but she was pretty sure she’d never experienced this before), she was juggling not only school work and summer planning– which was already a feat in and of itself, what with the change in her career path– but also haywire emotions that would pop up inexplicably to eat at her before leaving just as suddenly.

Right now, as she stood in front of Nick and listened to him excuse himself for what must of been the fourth time that week, she was finding herself in one of those awful bouts of _feelings_. Him skipping out on her had become normal, to the degree that she was used to it. Normally she took his flightiness in stride, but for some reason, the thought that she was now _accustomed_ to him ditching her last minute suddenly sparked something angry in her.

“What was it you had to do?” She asked, forcing levity into her words so that she wouldn’t come off as too aggressive. Unfortunately, her resulting tone was overly-apathetic, as if she had something to hide– which she did. Her ears burned in embarrassment.

Nick glanced at her with something akin to concern in his eyes. “I already told you. Kristie’s got a project that she needs my help with.”

“Right,” At the mention of Kristie’s name, her displeasure morphed into guilt. She made sure to keep her face pleasant, or at least neutral. “You’re quite the hero, aren’t you?” She teased, trying to take the edge off of their conversation. “One minute you’re saving Duke’s wrecked assignment, the next minute you’re tutoring Eli for lit, now you’re off to work magic on your girlfriend’s project. Not trying to brag, but I’d like to take responsibility for your actions, what with being the first person you tutored and all,” she winked, nudging him chummily. 

He didn’t bother replying, just smiled with one edge of his mouth while chortling under his breath. 

By the time they reached the usual spot that they parted ways, Judy had had a good amount of time to pick apart her earlier reaction. And much to her chagrin, she wondered if her initial feeling of unhappiness was jealousy.

Jealous of what, though? Kristie’s rightful monopoly on Nick’s time? Or that Nick prioritized somebody else over her? But since when did that matter? An uncomfortable edginess sat in her body. If jealousy was the result of wanting something that somebody else had, didn’t that mean she wanted Nick? Or, at the very least, Nick’s time? But she had that. 

And even if she didn’t have that, what did it matter? Nick didn’t belong to her, and if Kristie brought out the best in Nick, then she should be shoving the fox in Kristie’s direction, if anything. _That’s right_ , Judy decided stubbornly. _Whatever’s best for Nick_. Jealousy was petty and completely useless if Nick would later resent her for consuming all his time.

Or maybe… maybe she was afraid– afraid that she was becoming significantly less important to Nick than he was to her. Terrified, even, that with all his new commitments, Judy would find their relationship back to where it had started: nonexistent. She swallowed and felt how tight her throat was. Had she become overly attached?

“See you tomorrow?”

Her attention snapped back to her friend at the sound of his voice. And then, with the words _overly attached overly attached overly attached_ ringing in her head, she replied quickly, “Maybe. I don’t know. I’m kind of busy.”

Nick looked at her dubiously. “You’re telling me you have a life outside of that library?”

Judy scoffed at him, bumping him with her shoulder while fighting her grin. “For your information, I’m meeting with McHorn.”

It gave her a small satisfaction to see Nick so taken aback. “A date? With McHorn? ” He looked away from her, eyebrows knitting. “He’s…” The pause was heavy as Nick looked for an excuse and Judy waited to hear it. “He’s a _rhino_.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Is there something wrong with a rhino and a bunny going on a date?” It sounded to Judy like Nick was grasping at straws, and part of her– the tiny, tiny part of her that was vain and self-serving– wanted to pursue the implication, if only to figure out why Nick might protest over her going out with someone else. But a mixture of fear and self-control kept the desire at bay, and she replied simply, “And anyways, it’s only to talk about the Academy.”

When she shrugged and looked to the sky to avoid Nick’s reaction, she also missed the wash of relief that briefly colored his face. His next words felt significantly lighter in tone, if a bit hesitant, “Alright. I was just thinking that a rhino and a bunny… that’s a bit… _crazy_ , don’t you think?”

“Crazier than this?” Judy shot him a lopsided smile as she waved her finger between the two of them. “Admit it, slick. Nobody saw this coming.”

“Right,” Nick admitted casually. “But it’s not like we’re _dating_.”

“Well I’m not dating McHorn.”

“But say you were.”

Judy looked at him funny. 

Nick rolled his eyes. “Just go with it, fluff.”

“Alright, fine. Say I am. What’s your point?”

“You don’t think it’d be weird?”

“It’s unconventional,” Judy looked down, unusually interested in the grass at the edge of the sidewalk that she was now scuffing with her toe. Shrugging, she said, “but if we liked each other, we’d make it work, wouldn’t we?”

When she peered up at him, Nick was a world away. They stood quietly beneath the stop sign, Judy patiently waiting for Nick to speak his piece, which he finally did after his brows crinkled. “I’m pretty sure it’s a lot harder than just ‘making it work.’”

“How so?”

Nick shot her a disparaging look. “A rhino and a bunny, Carrots. Forget _making_ it work. It’d just plain _never_ work. Not to mention, half the world would be riding your tail and telling you exactly how disgusting they think it is.”

Fru Fru’s words from some months ago flickered through her mind. _So what?_ The shrew had said. And at the time, Fru Fru’s breezy dismissal had seemed incomprehensible, but suddenly, Judy found herself backing up the sentiment. “Those people are dumb. And you’re forgetting the other half of the world that wouldn’t care.” Her face felt hot and her entire body was humming with defensiveness, maybe as an involuntary reaction to her hypocrisy. But something about Nick’s attitude ground her gears. Something about the way he gave up so easily. 

He seemed conflicted, and Judy wondered when Nick had become so easy to read. Was it just her, maybe? Had he let his guard down around her? Nick shook his head. “It’s not worth it.”

Judy bit her lip, shaking her own head. “It’s not worth it if you don’t like the other person enough.” Her ears slowly fell flat as she looked at him uncertainly. “But if you really do, I just feel like you’d want to at least try.”

As she said it, her heart sunk to her toes. It wasn’t hypocrisy that had made her shake, it was that she’d been talking about herself. She understood now why Fru Fru had been so nonchalant– the shrew had seen something Judy had been denying vehemently the entire time. 

Sometime between meeting him and now, Nick had stopped being a crush and started being someone she was willing to fight for, and Fru Fru had seen it eons before Judy had. 

Maybe her feelings had changed as soon as the dance? Or maybe it was when Judy had found out about Kristie and realized that Nick could be taken away from her. Maybe it was even seeing Mr. Wilde and truly, _fully_ understanding that Nick wasn’t just some delinquent with an uncanny intelligence and a smart mouth. And she could try to deny it and write it off as a crush as much as she wanted, but she’d already done that for half a month at Bunnyburrow, and it had gotten her nowhere. If anything, the feeling was _worse_. 

Nick was looking at her like she wasn’t who he’d thought she was, and anxiety filled her to the brim until it felt like even her fur was quivering. She’d said too much. “It’s getting late, Nick,” she said hastily. “I’ve gotta go. See you around.”

Without waiting for a reply, she turned her back on him. 

———

Nick scowled at her as she sat at one of the library computers, probably typing up the final draft for some midterm essay that was due next week before spring break.

He hadn’t seen her in a month since their stop-sign conversation. Every time he asked if they were meeting after class, she had an excuse ready at hand as well as a strange, uneasy look in her eyes, which were never able to meet his.

The first week, Nick had been completely unaware, chalking up her absence to the bunny’s renewed interest in clubs. Judy had always been the kind of mammal to vigorously polish away at her resume, so her constant commitments weren’t unusual.

Halfway through the second week, he’d had a niggling sensation that something wasn’t right.

By the end of the third week, he _knew_ Judy was avoiding him, but he decided to give it another week, just in case. Not because he was a little afraid of the truth or anything.

But now, bordering on the beginning of the fifth week, he decided enough was enough. He’d endured her muteness since the beginning of _February–_ it was _March_ now. They were going to sit down and have a talk, like good ol’ times. After tapping his paws resolutely against the table two times, he got up and walked over to Judy.

She didn’t seem to notice his presence, completely engrossed in some application she was now filling out. When he grabbed the chair from the computer beside her and spun it so that the back faced her, she jumped and yelped. “ _Nick!_ ” She gasped, violet eyes round as saucers. Her entire body stiffened.

“Hey, fluff. Been a while.” He pinned her down with his own verdant eyes. She looked away nervously. “How’d your conversation with McHorn go?”

“Oh! Yeah.” Her voice was slightly higher than usual. She took her paws off the keyboard and laughed a little. “Yeah, that went well. Ryan’s always been really cool.”

“Ryan, huh?” Nick straddled the seat, crossing his arms over the backrest. “You guys on a first name basis now? Anything else I should be updated on? Feels like it’s been a lifetime, rabbit.”

Alright, so he was being a _little_ passive aggressive. But he felt he deserved to pick at her a bit.

Judy’s uneasy expression disappeared, replaced with a suspicious squint. “Is something wrong, Nick?”

“Nah, nothing,” he answered airily, shrugging indifferently. “Just feeling a bit like you made your 99 in physics and 104 in calculus and then decided you got what you wanted from me.”

The cagey look on her face melted away into remorse, and her ears fell like birds that’d been shot down. “Nick! No! Oh my gosh, _no!_ That’s not what it is at all!” She started chewing on her bottom lip, and Nick didn’t realize he’d been staring until Judy squeezed his wrist and ripped his attention away from the motion. “I’m so sorry. I’m an awful friend.” He didn’t miss the conflicted flicker in her eyes when she asked, “Are you free after class tomorrow? Let’s hang out. Sweet Fang?”

“Sounds good. I expect a 10 page essay on all the things that’ve happened since we last talked. Should be easy for you.” 

Judy rolled her eyes at him. “Dumb fox,” she said fondly and apologetically and chidingly all at the same time.

Nick beamed at her as he got up and set the chair back where he’d gotten it from. He walked backwards out of the library, waving at her until the doors closed. The smile slid off his face and he furrowed his brows at the door, remembering Judy’s hesitance on meeting with him. 

So he’d been a little manipulative. Was that why she’d been so antsy about hanging out? But, he reasoned, desperate times called for desperate measures. Wasn’t that how the saying went? And anyways, he’d never claimed to be a good guy. Misunderstood, maybe. But not _good_.

Yet he still couldn’t help feeling like he craved Judy’s attention because she made him feel like he could be, well, better. Maybe not _good_ – that would take a miracle– but _better_. And it wasn’t so much that he thought he needed to fix himself as it was that the world felt a lot bigger than just being a fox when he was with her. 

He took an apprehensive step away from the library exit before finally turning around and rushing out of the building. 

———

“ _Ben_ ,” Judy hissed into her phone, trying to keep her voice low so that none of the other passengers could eavesdrop. It’d begun to rain as she was walking back home, so she’d stopped at a bus stop and boarded the next vehicle. “ _You have to come with me!_ ”

“Judy!” Ben whined. “I don’t wanna be a third wheel!”

She couldn’t help the pleading note in her voice. “ _Please_ , Ben. _Please_. I’m _actually_ begging you. And you’ve never been a third wheel before!”

“Yeah, but I’ve never been to whatever super-secret, Wilde-Hopps, fun-time getaway that you’re talking about right now. Sweet Fang? Never heard of it.”

“It’s right next to that ice cream shop.” Frantically, she added. “I’ll even buy you ice cream after. Anything you want. _Anything_.”

The call went quiet, save for their breathing. Ben gave a contemplative hum. “You drive a hard bargain, Hopps.”

Judy smiled, feeling a little bit of the weight relieve itself from her heart. She’d asked Nick to hang out because she’d felt guilty, but as soon as she’d offered, she’d regretted it. Hanging out with Nick alone, she’d learned, didn’t ease any of her feelings (obviously).

“What time?”

“Tomorrow after classes.”

“Alright,” Ben conceded. “See you then, I guess.”

“Thank you,” Judy gushed. “You’re the best friend on earth. I owe you one. I love you so much. Thank you thank you _thank you!_ ”

“Love you too, lil’ bunny,” Ben chirped back before hanging up.

10 more minutes passed before the bus stuttered to a halt at her stop. She pulled out her umbrella and keys and made the trek back to her apartment, freezing in bewilderment at the top step when she saw Clawhauser at her door.

“I don’t get why you have to bring me,” Ben said off-handedly, shrugging off his raincoat and giving his fire-engine red wellingtons a thorough shake. Judy tensed. “And it’s not that I have a problem with going with you, but I feel like… I just feel like something’s wrong. You guys use to always hang out alone.”

“Yeah.” Judy bit the inside of her cheek. “I- I know.”

It was silent again. “Is something wrong, Juju?” He knit his brow.

She didn’t bother replying, just pressed past him and jammed her key into the lock in frustration. Why was she so easy to read? For once, if she could just not wear her heart on her sleeve… tears prickled in her eyes. She shook her head franticly in an attempt to throw off the feeling.

“Judy, don’t be angry,” Ben murmured, following her into the apartment. 

“I’m not angry at you,” she replied hopelessly as she dropped her bag on the end of the sofa. “I’m angry at myself.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Ben called from the kitchen. The sound of clinking mugs filled the room. “Want hot chocolate?”

Falling haphazardly onto the couch, she replied in a single exhale, “yes please.” Then, without preamble, “I like Nick. A lot.”

The microwave beeped five times, signaling its end. Just a little bit later, Ben walked out with two steaming mugs in either paw. He handed one to her, which she received gratefully, before sitting on the end of the couch that Judy wasn’t splayed out on. His weight made the cushions sink, and the bunny carefully balanced her cup as she slid a fraction towards the cheetah. “Alright. What’s the issue?”

“ _Ben_ ,” Judy said crossly. “He has a girlfriend.”

Ben blinked exaggeratedly. “Right. I forgot.”

“ _Ben!_ ”

The mammal in question raised his paws in the air and had the modesty to look repentant. Hot chocolate sloshed dangerously over the edge of his cup. “Sorry! It’s not like _she’s_ my best friend who’s a rabbit who’s in love with a fox who she just met last semester who hangs out with a different crowd than her.”

Judy choked on her drink and felt it scald her tongue as her eyes watered. “Nobody said _anything_ about love,” she wheezed, setting her ceramic mug down with more force than necessary. 

Ben looked at her innocently from above his own beverage. “Just callin’ it like I see it.” Then he took a sip.

Whatever face Judy pulled, it made Ben laugh. “It’s not– I don’t–” Fru Fru flashed through her mind, and Judy quieted, voice weak when she spoke. “Fine. Call it whatever you want, it’s not… it doesn’t matter. I just can’t let it… _grow_. That’s why I need you there. I need a buffer.”

“What were you doing the last month?” Ben asked, face quizzical.

“Avoiding him,” Judy answered honestly and meekly. 

“For a _month?!_ ”

“What was I _supposed_ to do?!” Judy wailed. “He’d made it pretty clear that there was no chance!He thought interspecies dating was gross! Not that I care,” she corrected promptly. “Not that I thought that there was a shot in hell or anything.” 

Ben narrowed his eyes at her.

“ _Fine!_ ” Judy cried. “It might’ve occurred to me! Can you blame me? Oh god, Ben. I’m the _worst_. He has a _girlfriend!_ ”

But Ben was caught up on another detail. His ears twitched. “He’s against interspecies relationships?” When Judy shrugged and half-nodded, he _hmm_ ed. “Doesn’t seem the type.”

“Well, maybe he’s not totally against it. I think he thought it was just weird.” Judy cringed.

“Oh, Juju,” Ben pouted. “You’re perfect. You don’t need to be a fox for Nick– no, stop denying it, I know you’ve thought about it– you’ll find somebody, maybe some bunny but maybe some other mammal, who likes you just the way you are and who doesn’t have all these hang-ups. Not that Nick isn’t great. He just… needs time.”

Judy took a deep breath in and let it out slowly, sitting up and then sinking into Ben’s side. “I wish it was easier.”

He hugged her. “Love’s never easy.” Judy winced at the word, and Ben pulled away, huffing. “Oh, _stop_ that! It’s not a disease!”

“Sorry, I’m just… I’ve barely come to terms with it myself.” She pulled her mouth to the side and examined the corner of the coffee table. “It’s kind of depressing that I’m going to have to stop hanging out with Nick. And it’s kind of stupid that I’d like him like this after hanging out with him. I can’t even figure out _why_ I like him.” She pursed her lips. “I have to keep reminding myself that he’s with Kristie and that he doesn’t really even see past me being a bunny to make myself feel better about this. Which is kind of messed up, isn’t it? But I think this is the right thing to do. It’s not fair to either of us if I’m just… _pining_ all the time and he has to deal with the consequences of that. What if I turn into some kind of… resentful _monster_?” She shuddered. “This is for the better.”

Ben looked at her sadly for a second. She’d pulled her lips back to the side again and was chewing at her cheek, probably to distract herself from crying. She was oblivious to Ben’s watchful gaze, so he turned his attention to the shelving beneath her tv, knowing Judy didn’t want his pity. “Is that 50 Furst Dates? Ooh, that _is!_ Let’s watch it!”

Picking himself up from his seat, he plucked the DVD from its spot and opened the case, thinking that if Judy needed him to be her buffer, he’d do his best, even if he wondered the entire time whether he was doing the right thing.


	12. Chapter 12

She'd brought Clawhauser.

_The bunny. Had brought. Clawhauser_.

He'd walked into Sweet Fang, sun shining down on his head and back, some clever quip ready on his lips, only to see Judy leaning forward onto the cashier counter talking to Ben, who was leaning back against it.

Whatever snide comment he'd prepared flew out of his mind.

"Nick!" Judy cheered when she saw him, leaping away from the counter and bounding towards him. He half expected her to tackle him with a hug, but she stopped just short of him and looked up at him eagerly. "You came!"

"I did," he answered stupidly, still staring at Ben. Did the cheetah look apologetic? He _did!_ Nick narrowed his eyes at him and Ben mouthed back, _she asked me to!_

Nick's ears flattened, and he looked back again at Judy, who was watching him eagerly and completely blind to his and Ben's silent communication. She'd asked Ben to come? Why?

"So," Judy started, eyes sparkling. "Guess what just happened?"

"What?" Nick humored her, managing a smile despite the less-than-satisfied storm swirling in his gut.

"The ZPD just e-mailed me. _I've got an interview!_ " She beamed at him, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"That's a pretty quick turn-around time. Didn't you just send in the application yesterday?"

Judy tried to smother her pleased smile. "Yeah, well, they saw my record and, well, you know how that goes."

Nick laughed. "So modest. I think congratulations are in order. Want a sundae?"

"Actually, I found something really cool in here, so you can just get me that." She looked at Nick playfully. "Oh, and I got you these." When she held out her hands, Nick realized she'd been hiding them behind her back the entire time. In each palm was a generous stack of his favorite suckers.

He cocked his head at her, eyes soft. "Aw, Carrots, you shouldn't have. It's not like I won anything."

"I'm in a good mood," she replied before looking over her shoulder to check on Ben, who was crouching and reading the label off some chocolate bar. Turning her attention back to Nick, she added bashfully, "and I couldn't have done it without you. Thanks, Nick."

"You're gonna give me a cavity, fluff," Nick joked, taking the lollipops from her. "What was that thing you wanted to show me?"

"I found _carrot cakes_ ," Judy whispered conspiratorially, grabbing Nick by his wrist and dragging him to a tiny cooler section.

He scoffed. "Are you serious?"

"What?" Her complete confusion was so honest and clueless, it was endearing. She truly had no idea.

So it was his duty to enlighten her, and he did so with relish, shooting her a sideways smile and spreading his hands over the display of cakes."It's just so… _stereotypical_."

Judy glowered at him before wrinkling her nose and retorting, "Fine, I'll admit I'm a pretty normal bunny in some aspects. _But–_ " She held up a hand before Nick could interrupt her with some sneaky little comment, "I showed you these so you can reward me for all the ways I'm not a normal bunny. Because I'm pretty awesome." When she was done with her little spiel, she folded her arms and smiled cheekily at him.

He watched her with amusement as she basked in her perceived greatness. "Anything else, bun? Did you custom order yourself a plaque, too? Want me to present it to you? I'm sure I can dig up some crates in the storage for you to stand on. We can even have a makeshift podium."

She looked at him widely, eyes dancing with mirth as she poked him in the ribs. "Shush, you!"

Smirking at her, Nick tweaked her ear, and she swatted at his paw, giving a little growl that had him reeling backwards in shock. Then, he burst into laughter. "Did you just _growl?_ "

"At least _pretend_ to be scared," Judy groused under her breath, spinning around to take a cake from the cooler. _Fresh baked every morning!_ The large sticker on the front advertised. The detail seemed to please Judy.

"I could never be scared of you," Nick responded. Somehow, the words came out less sarcastic and more genuine than he'd meant them to, and he couldn't help but think that it must've been an automatic reaction to the gooey way she was staring at the cake. And he knew Judy noticed his unusually sentimental tone, because she jerked around to look at him strangely. He shrugged, trying not to show his internal flustering. "Just sayin'."

She narrowed her eyes at him before straightening her back and pushing her shoulders back like a soldier. Her ears shot up, and she brushed past him towards the register. "You severely underestimate me."

"Is _that_ what it is?" Nick taunted. Judy didn't dignify him with a response, just set the cake in front of the mongoose manning the register. With anybody else, Nick might've worried that he'd teased a little too far, but he knew Judy well enough to know when far was too far. And anyways, she was doing a horrible job hiding her smile.

"You're the worst," Judy chuckled.

"I'm the _best_ ," Nick countered, wiggling his eyebrows at her. Her chuckling turned into full-blown laughter.

"Stop that!" She choked out, taking the cake box from the cashier with a fumble after Nick received his change from the mongoose, who quickly returned to the back of the building. When he finally did as she asked, her guffawing died down into giggles, until she was left just gazing at him a wistfully. "You're a lot of fun, Nick."

The nostalgic way she said it made him do a double-take, and his eyes dimmed until his smile was only a poor imitation of what it originally was. Something was beginning to piece together in his mind, and suddenly, his walls were up. Coolly, he asked, "Why'd you bring Ben, fluff?"

That skittish look he'd become so familiar with returned to her face, and she answered too quickly, like she'd been practicing, "I thought he might like this place, so I invited him."

Nick didn't reply, taking his time unwrapping one of the candies she'd gifted I'm earlier, gauging his surrounding as he did so. Ben was all the way on the opposite side of the room, which meant he wouldn't be able to overhear any conversation. Judy seemed to understand this as well, because she started smoothing her ears down in distress, hugging the cake closer to herself. The innocent crinkling of the wrapper seemed so foreboding now.

Finally, Nick spoke. "You're an awful liar, Hopps." Unlike his eyes which glinted with a hard edge, his words weren't harsh at all. In fact, they were deceptively casual, like he'd already detached himself from their relationship and everything was a-ok.

Judy withered. "Nick–"

"I just wanna know: were you gonna tell me, or were you just gonna leave me hanging? A guy likes a warning, y'know."

Judy swallowed thickly, opening her mouth to answer, but nothing came out. He'd asked her a question that she'd forgotten to ask herself.

He shook his head. "Nevermind, doesn't matter." There was a bitter bite to his words, finally a sign that he wasn't really so removed from the situation. "If you don't want the cake anymore, I'll take it," Nick said boredly. Judy froze, unable to comprehend his nonchalance.

Maybe it was to salvage whatever she could, or maybe it was simply self-preservation– whatever it was, Judy's mouth moved before her mind did, and she blurted out, "I might be in love with you."

Ben picked that minute to come waltzing in, a package of cupcakes in his paws. "Judy, I can't tell if this sticker says 4.99 or 9.99. I mean, who writes their fours like that? Or is it just me? Does this look like a four or a nine to you? Can you– ask… the…" His words fizzled out as he finally looked up and took in the scene.

Whatever apathy Nick had clothed himself in had gone up in smoke, replaced instead with a look of complete shock and disbelief and, for some reason, betrayal. Judy, on the other hand, looked like she was in fight-or-flight mode, with the flight side of the instinct winning.

" _Love?_ " Nick spluttered. "You're a rabbit?" His inflection rose at the end like a question, as if he himself didn't know where he was going with that fact.

Still, Judy lurched back at the off-kilter comment. The fear that had been marring her features previously was gone, pure hurt and confusion taking its place. "What is that supposed to mean?"

He looked just as bewildered as she did. "That doesn't happen."

"A bunny and a fox?" Judy continued numbly.

She'd rehearsed this conversation a few times in her head (under much less taxing circumstances) since admitting that she liked Nick, and this was exactly how it'd played out. Somebody would say the words, _a fox and a bunny? Never,_ and then the reel would cut to another way the scenario might play out, ending the same every time. But seeing it _actually_ happen was incomparable to anything she could think up in her head.

Plus, there was something to be said about the follow-up: her imagination had always chosen to end the situation immediately, but reality wasn't as forgiving. Judy was left to deal with the actual emotional repercussions of " _a-fox-and-a-bunny-never"_ , and she found that listening to Nick blindly make ignorant comments was a shock to her system. After all, she'd spent so much time beating herself over the head for her biases, thinking _she'd_ been the prejudiced one, only to learn that Nick had basically been sailing in the same skiff the entire time– his prejudices had just been better hidden.

A lot of things about Nick, Judy suddenly understood, were very well hidden.

"I can't like a fox because I'm a rabbit?" She repeated, voice sounding far-away even to herself. She felt oddly separated from everything that was going on and only just noticed that Ben was hovering beside her, a looming mass of nervous energy. "I don't think anybody picks who they love, Nick. It just happens."

Everything was quiet, save for the buzzing of the lights over their heads. A patient but strained smile curled onto Nick's lips, his eyes uneasy, uncertain, distraught, and darker than usual, as if a storm was passing through them. "Carrots, I think…"

He swallowed. Judy's heart clamored in her chest, beating so fiercely it was as if there was a crowd rioting inside her, trying to break out of her rib cage. Nick's gaze flickered briefly to Ben for a second.

"I think you're confusing your feelings for me."

Her mouth popped open, and she exhaled in disbelief. There was something demeaning about Nick's analysis. Maybe it was that he didn't think she was sane enough to understand her own emotions? Or maybe it was having something she thought to be so serious boiled down to mere _confusion_.

All her nerves, which had been stacking up one on top of the other, seemed to squeeze themselves into a single, solid package, leaving Judy with a compact cube of anger in her gut. But rather than lashing out, Judy manifested her fury in a tight, controlled answer, willing her voice not to crack. "You're probably right."

She felt Ben's incredulous look and ignored it, taking a step back from the fox. He was the last person she'd thought would disqualify her for something she couldn't help, especially in light of how much he _knew_ – and _god_ , did he know– that being a rabbit never stopped her from, well, _anything_.

If only she could be as flat and unfeeling as Nick instead of this emotional hodgepodge that had to scrunch up her face so that the tears wouldn't come out.

Nick looked sheepish before quickly shaking his head, as if any overarching awkwardness was just a few flies buzzing around his ears. It was a peculiarly understated reaction to a situation that Judy felt was so earth-shattering. "Well, I've actually gotta be somewhere in 30 minutes," he tapped his wrist jokingly, and Judy wondered if he was telling the truth or if he was just trying to escape any weird feelings between them. "See you tomorrow?"

_See you tomorrow_ , she wanted to answer, wanted to gloss over the past few minutes like Nick seemed to be doing, like nothing had happened, like she hadn't just put herself out there and been rejected _for the worst possible reason_. Because Judy could handle being rejected, even by Nick. But for the reason he rejected her? Absolutely not.

"Nick," she laughed shortly, but without joy. She was _actually_ confused now, because as angry and hurt as she felt, something in her still _wanted_ to see him tomorrow, and she felt like her own emotions were betraying her. "I don't– I'm not sure–" Her brows knit as she tried to make sense of what she was thinking. "I think… I think you're right. I'm confused," Judy took a slow, deep breath in before continuing, "and maybe it'd help if… we didn't talk for a while. Because if being such good friends with you is what's making me think I'm in love with you, maybe… maybe I should… take a step back."

She shrugged helplessly, avoiding his eyes while placing the cake down on the counter and sliding it an inch towards him. Finally after gathering enough courage, she pulled her head up to peer at Nick, and her heart faltered at the lost expression he wore.

Her own face must've twisted– she'd never been good at hiding her feelings– because Nick immediately clammed up, putting on the cool, unbothered mask Judy knew all too well. Something sad and lonely filled her chest, and for some reason she wanted to apologize. But she didn't, just hugged herself and turned around without saying goodbye.

Clawhauser's attention bounced between the two of them in a clear display of distress. He opened his mouth to say something to Nick, but decided against it and spared the fox a dismayed look before chasing after Judy.

They sat on the bus together, Judy with her forehead pressed against the window, staring listlessly at the scrolling scenery, chin in her paw while Clawhauser fidgeted and occasionally glanced worriedly at his friend.

She would be fine. She knew it. She'd anticipated this exact reaction from Nick, she'd basically prepared herself for something like this. So yeah, she'd be fine.

And that… that was the worst part. She'd known and had still let it happen.

"Don't cry, Judy," Ben cooed, patting Judy's head and smoothing her ears down over and over again. "You didn't know."

"I'm not crying," she sniffled, feeling tears well up in her eyes.

Ben smiled a little. "You're right, you're not."

Judy choked out a pathetic little laugh before explaining, "I _did_ know, Ben. That's the worst part."

Looking at her thoughtfully, Ben voiced his opinion, "I think you knew _something_ , Juju. Just… maybe not the entire thing."

She stared at her best friend, and it struck her that he was right. Sure, she'd known since her first fight with Nick that there was something fundamentally different between her and the fox, but she had never let herself dwell on it too long.

Today though, that difference had laid itself bare before her. Her entire life, she'd fought against people's opinions and assumptions of her. Everything that everybody believed a bunny was supposed to do, she didn't do– _couldn't_ do. Her dreams and aspirations were too big, even for farm land that spread for acres. When she'd been swiped across her face and told that she'd never be anything more than a dumb bunny, she'd vehemently decided _no,_ she would not be defined by something outside of her control. She wanted what she wanted– _not_ to be a farmer, _not_ to be stuck in Bunnyburrow for the rest of her life, _not_ for her name to get lost in another sea of nameless carrot farmers– more than she cared what others thought about her.

But Nick had taken the opposite route. She didn't blame him. In fact, she had a sinking feeling that for Nick, his reaction had been unavoidable. Judy had grown up knowing what was expected of her– her parents never failed to remind her how outlandish she was, if only to protect her from disappointment and heartbreak in the future. But Judy had met Nick's dad, and he was a dreamer and an idealist, had probably filled Nick's childhood with hopeful stories and an impression that anything was possible, the exact opposite of her own parents. So ultimately, Nick had had a lot farther to fall than her. He hadn't been prepared when he'd been muzzled that awful night, had been left confused and afraid and devastated.

Overwhelmed by the flood of understanding, Judy burrowed into Ben's side, eyes stinging and throat closing up. She found herself wishing briefly that she _had_ grown up "just a dumb bunny," if it meant that things didn't have to be so _hard_ for once. She just wanted to be in the comfort of her home surrounded by her entire family right now, and not alone in a big city where nobody thought she would amount to anything while she worked her ass off to prove otherwise. She just wanted to be in love with some nice bunny and not this _fox_ who was so _afraid_.

" _Judy!_ " Ben scolded, grabbing her by her shoulders and shaking vigorously while pinning her with an appalled glare. "Don't you _ever_ say that again!"

He jostled the tears right out of Judy's eyes, and in her confusion, she thought Ben had read her mind before realizing she'd been sniffling her thoughts out loud, probably loud enough for the entire bus to hear, judging by the pitying (and also mildly disturbed) looks that kept darting in her direction.

"Boys like Nick?" Clawhauser's eyes widened and he shook his head slowly, meaningfully. "Not worth those kinds of thoughts. And it's not that Nick isn't a great guy, he's just got his demons. And you can't change him unless he wants to change, so don't even think about blaming yourself. Be ok with that." He shook her again for emphasis.

"Now love yourself, girl. _Please_. You are _great_ the way you are, and you deserve the best. So don't even _think_ about settling. Some people are meant for that life, but not _you_." Suddenly, Ben spun Judy towards the stranger sitting in front of them. She flinched away from the long ears that Ben had practically stuffed her face into. "Don't you think so? Yes _you_ , I know you were listening to all of this. Doesn't this bunny look like she's destined for greatness?"

"Oh my god, _Ben–_ "

But the stranger– a very well-dressed bunny who looked to be about her age, Judy noted, with unusual markings on his face– smiled kindly, aqua blue eyes twinkling with amusement under the sunlight streaming through the window. "Sure does."

The cheetah was momentarily stunned by the other bunny's accent but managed to work himself out of his stupor and finish up his little gag. "See? It's so obvious it literally shoots out of your earholes or something. So don't even think about settling," Ben huffed, finally freeing Judy from his mildly sticky paws. "Now, this is our stop, so–"

"No it's not–"

"It is," Ben sniffed, sticking his nose in the air. Judy cracked a smile finally, and Ben smiled back, resuming his cheerful tone, "'cause we're going to the Big's for dinner. Fru Fru texted me earlier."

They bounded off the bus– well, Ben did. Judy stepped off like a normal person, still reeling from everything that just happened, feeling like it'd all been only a dream. Her emotions were still trying to find a happy balancing point, teetering dangerously between "hot mess" and "maybe everything _will_ be ok."

"Now everybody knows what a weirdo I am, falling in love with a _fox_ ," she sighed. "Did you see how some people were looking at me?" The staring had been hard to miss, what with some passengers looking like Judy's interest in an inter-species relationship had given them bad gas.

"Oh, screw them!" Ben griped. "Life's too short to do things just to let others be comfortable!"

Judy smiled like she'd given up. "I just wish Nick thought the same thing."

Ben returned her rueful smile before taking her paw in his own and squeezing. Then he swung their intertwined paws into the air. "Well, on the bright side," he peered at Judy expectantly, mischievously, and she wondered what the cheetah was cooking up in his mind. "That bunny on the bus was pretty cute, huh?"

" _Ben!_ "

" _I'm just sayin'!_ "

—

Maybe it was just him, or maybe the jail really was a shade damper and darker. As brightly lit as the space was, the single flickering light in the back was distracting enough to lend itself to a mood that was far more eerie than the place really was.

Then again, he'd just been here last week for a visit with his mom. Nothing could've changed that much in a week. Although… just a few days before _that_ visit, he'd had his falling out with Judy. So actually, a week was _plenty_ time for things to change. It was also plenty of time for things to get extremely awkward in a oncecomfortable friendship.

And comfortable, Nick understood now, was an understatement. He hadn't even realized how many walls he had let down until he'd started spending more time with the guys again, which meant putting up a certain facade again. But he found that this version of himself that he'd once worn easily and effortlessly now felt just a little wrong, like a shirt that had shrunk in the dryer.

Unfortunately, the reason for that change had moved to the seat across the room in their shared math class. When she wasn't in class, she was constantly flanked by some friend, whether it was Ben or Fru Fru or some other mammal. At one point, Nick had noticed that McHorn had joined her little crew of bodyguards, and he'd thought back drolly to their conversation about "unconventional relationships."

Nick, admittedly, didn't understand why he kept pursuing her when he didn't even know what he wanted to say, because what Judy had asked for was completely logical. Any sensible mammal would've done what she'd done, which was distancing herself to get a hold of her feelings. Sure he liked to play around, but he wasn't _cruel_. He didn't want to lead her on. Well. He didn't want to lead _Judy_ on, he amended. And not Kristie either, for that matter. _God_ this was getting complicated.

Shaking the thought from his head, Nick refocused on his present-day task, which was getting comfortable in this highly uncomfortable environment. When he pulled a seat out, it screeched brutally, the sound echoing against the cold, stone walls, and he winced, deftly checking his peripheries to make sure he hadn't called too much attention to himself.

Except… there was nobody else in the room. Just him. His ears flattened, tail sinking to the ground. _Figures_ , he thought dryly. The one time he came alone, he really was _literally_ alone.

Until his dad was lead in. Nick's ears pricked, and he lifted his hands onto the table, drumming them anxiously as his father situated himself.

"You alright, Mr. Wilde?" The officer that had brought him in asked. Then, in a much quieter tone, "You want me to leave?"

"I'm great, Chris, thanks," Nate answered warmly, looking up at the official. "And you don't have to leave, there's nothing my son and his–" he glanced hastily at Nick, only to see that the kit was alone. Mr. Wilde blinked in surprised. "– my son and his nothing, it seems. Well, nothing he'll tell me that you can't hear as well."

"Alrighty then, I'll just be off to the side then."

"That'll be fine, thanks." Nate turned to face his son, but then seemed to be struck with a thought and looked back at Chris. "Harold did tell me Jack was bringing doughnuts for his shift, though. So if you feel like momentarily shirking your duties for that, don't let me hold you back! Promise I won't start any crazy fights– you know me." He smiled jokingly.

Relief crossed the panther's face, and he checked his watch. "Thanks, Mr. Wilde. Jack should've clocked in by now, so I'll be back in a few." He then proceeded to scamper off, gently shutting the door behind him as he left.

Nick looked at his dad with mild bemusement. "That was… interesting."

"Treat people well, Nick. It's worth it."

Nick scoffed, folding his arms and leaning back into his seat. "You defending that raccoon didn't seem worth it."

Sadness clouded Nate's features. "I didn't do that because I thought I'd get something out of it. I did it because it was right."

"He was a _criminal_ , dad."

"He wasn't committing a crime at the time. You _know_ what happened."

"I know he was _bad_. And sure, he just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time–"

"– _and_ he was actually innocent that time–"

"– _but,_ that doesn't _make up_ for everything else he did. They were going to catch him sooner or later, but you had to go and get yourself locked up right there with him!" Nick snapped.

Nate's face was grim. "Nicholas," the kit addressed cringed at the use of his full name. "You're right. They _were_ going to catch him eventually, and the easy thing to do would've been to ignore what was happening and let them take him, even if they were accusing him of something he hadn't done. But we both know that no matter what he'd _already_ done, none of that had anything to do with what happened that evening."

"But why couldn't you just tell yourself that they were pretty much just taking him for all the past crimes–"

"Nick, take Duke, alright?" Nick's jaw squared, but he nodded reluctantly, following along. "We both know what Duke likes to do in his spare time." The edge of Nate's mouth quirked ruefully. "But say he's out one day with his family, they're about to go get dinner, shoplifting is the last thing on his mind."

Nick knew where this was going, and his heart sank.

"They pass by a jewelry store where some _other_ guy is having his fun, and somehow, Duke gets apprehended. You get it, don't you?" Nate said sadly. "It would've been easier to let them take Rick– that's the raccoon, by the way– but that's the thing about doing what's right. It's not always easy."

"But what about _you?_ " Nick muttered, unable to meet his dad's eyes.

Nate laughed wryly. "Your mom and I will figure it out. She's been saving up for a lawyer. It'll be some time, but I'm holding on to whatever light I can find."

They fell into a comfortable quiet, Nick mulling over his dad's words while Nate watched silently, just enjoying the presence of his son.

"So, where's Ms. Hopps? She's pretty cute, isn't she?"

Nick reacted instinctively, "Don't call her cute." His mouth snapped shut, and both him and his dad straightened in their seats. Except Nick stiffened uncomfortably while Nate looked as if he'd just been handed the winning ticket for the lottery.

"How long have you known this girl?" Mr. Wilde asked, voice tight with controlled excitement. His dad was acting like a nosy schoolgirl, and it was… well, it was something. "Did you know each other before calculus?"

" _Dad_ ," Nick groaned. "That's not it, it's just that bunnies don't–"

"I _know_ that!" His dad waved his paw in the air, shooing away whatever lecture Nick had planned. "I was _testing_ you. I've met my fair share of bunnies, I _know_ how they feel about that word. So how long have you known her?"

Nick tried to reign in his stupefaction because he was pretty sure it was showing on his face. "Um, we didn't talk 'til last semester."

Nate's happy countenance dropped suddenly. "And you've _already_ gotten on her bad side?"

" _Hey, wait a minute–_ "

"Is that why she's not here with you today? _Nick_. Trish keeps telling me that you're doing good. Straight A's. Teachers like you." Nate hesitated and then said off-handedly, "Cops don't, but we'll deal with that later. But _you're_ telling me that you run around antagonizing bunnies–"

" _Antagonizing?_ I'm not _antagonizing_ anyone–"

"Right, right," Nate nodded, talking more to himself than anyone around him. "Just rhinos–"

" _Dad!_ "

"I'm kidding, son." His dad grinned widely.

Nick huffed in exasperation, but there was a smile on the edge of his mouth. But by the end of the sigh, his mouth had turned down at the corners and he was tapping his fingers against the table again. If he'd been the type, he probably would've been wringing his paws.

"Actually, dad, that's why I came here." He cleared his throat and looked around nervously. Still nobody. That was good. "I, uh, I think I messed up with Judy."

"Messed up?" Nate cocked his head, ears flicking in interest.

"She _likes_ me."

His father looked at him in concern. "If you mean what I think you mean, I don't see what the problem is. She likes you, you like her–"

Nick flinched, and as if on cue, the flickering light in the corner popped, spit, and died. Nate exhaled in disbelief. "Nick, _really?_ "

"We barely know each other," Nick bellyached, "and she's a rabbit. And I have a girlfriend. How many times do I have to tell people this?"

Nate watched his son with a carefully controlled expression. Finally, after a heavy pause, he said quietly, "Those sound like excuses, Nicholas."

Nick felt his entire body heat up. "What?" The word came out much more biting than he meant for it to, as if the defensive-ness he was feeling inside couldn't contain itself and was spilling out in his speech.

Gently, his father continued, "You say you barely know each other, but clearly you trust her. You've never brought _anybody_ here, Nick. And I have the feeling she trusts you. If you really don't know each other that well," the glance he shot Nick told the kit his father didn't believe him one bit, "that seems like the perfect foundation to get to know each other."

Nick's jaw tensed. He was grinding his teeth, knowing his dad was right but wishing he wasn't.

"If you ask me," Mr. Wilde began patiently and cautiously, like he was wading through dangerous water, "it sounds like you're afraid."

The kit folded his arms defensively, "What's there to be afraid of?"

"You tell me, son."

They engaged in a staring contest for what felt like hours, until Nick eventually wilted into himself. "There's so much, dad," he murmured, eyes darting everywhere but up and in general acting like he was being held at gunpoint.

His words left him before he could sort out his thoughts, resulting in a confusing jumble of ambiguous pronouns and thoughts with no end that only a father could understand, "interspecies relationships, and– and _Kristie_ , what am I supposed to do about that– and what if I just drag her down, I mean, I don't even know what I want in life, and she's… she's a _planner_." He finally met his dad's eyes, looking into them meaningfully while whispering the last part of his sentence like it was a curse.

Nate fought back his amused grin and leaned forward with purpose, opening up his hands on the table so his palms faced up. "Let me tell you a secret, Nick: life's too important to base your decisions on what makes others comfortable with you. The ones who love you, even if they don't like what you're doing, they'll want to understand you. The others? They're not worth getting worked up over. It's easier said than done, but other mammal's judgment is the last thing on the list of things to let yourself get anxious over."

Nick stared brokenly at his father, looking all the world like a little boy lost in a grocery store.

"Now," Nate leaned very far back and squinted at his offspring, looking up and down and analyzing as if he was seeing his son for the first time. Casually, he changed the topic, "Kristie? Renardo? John's Girl?"

"Um, yeah," Nick replied haltingly, thrown-off by his dad's sudden change in mood. "How much has mom told you?"

"Nothing, apparently," Nate muttered, looking hilariously put-out. "Well, that's something. John and I use to joke about that. Whodda thunk?"

"I'm sure you're having a lot of fun," Nick said dryly, wrinkling his nose.

Grinning toothily, Nate raised his hands. "You'll figure it out, Nick. You're a Wilde. We figure things out."

Nick sighed, mouth curling into a reluctant smile. "Thanks, dad." After a moment of quiet, both of them taking the other in, Nick picked himself up to leave.

The officer returned just then, sucking chocolate icing off his fingers. "Sorry 'bout that! Lot more doughnuts than I'd expected, good ol' Harold."

Nate lifted a shoulder at Nick, getting up as well and moving towards Chris. As the panther pulled open the door, Nick jerked back to his father. "Hey, dad–" Both Chris and Nate stopped and looked curiously at the boy, who swallowed nervously. "Do you, uh, do you ever get angry at the cop who did this to you?"

The question seemed to pique Chris' interest as well because he tilted his head at the older fox, a rueful look marring Nate's usually pleasant face. "I do. But I don't blame every cop for his poor judgment. There are good cops out there."

Nick chuckled under his breath, shaking his head. His dad had known the question before he'd even asked it. "Good cops, huh?" Judy flickered through his thoughts.

Nate smiled, waving goodbye. "Sometimes I think you'd make a good cop, Nicholas." His voice trailed away quietly as he was led away, leaving Nick alone to dwell on his parting words.

The light that he'd thought had taken its last breath flickered back to life, no longer stuttering brokenly. Instead, it cast it's steady wash of brightness over everything, and somehow, the room actually seemed a little warmer.


	13. Chapter 13

She'd been benching on the Academy as her summer plan, but during the interview, after mentioning that she was only a _rising_ junior, the interviewer had immediately apologized and said they only took upperclassmen, but that they would gladly see her during the next round of interviews– next round meaning _next year_.

She should've known, should've paid more attention to the website when she'd been scanning it, and she berated herself for that mistake. When did she start letting details slip through her fingers? _And_ she had no back-up plan! Since when did she stop making back-up plans?!

Judy refrained from banging her forehead against the nearest wall, opting instead to drop her face into her paws and stifle her wail. Everything these past weeks had just _come_ at her, giving her no pause, no momentary relief. Each time she finally managed to suck in a desperate breath, life came crashing down on her in another rolling wave, clearly intent on drowning her.

 _Well, you've got the Harvest Festival_ , she reassured herself nervously, hoping that nothing unpredictable would happen in Bunnyburrow this upcoming weekend. After all, how dramatic could a celebration over produce get?

Speaking of produce and Bunnyburrow and harvesting, Judy had come to a stop in front of a little floral shop at the corner of the block. If it hadn't been for the strong, familiar floral notes wafting from the potted plants littering the store front, she would've walked straight past the quaint and colorful display framing a chalkboard that read: _Summer Workers Needed!_ Underneath the big, swoop-y lettering was finer print written in a practical, block typeface: _experience necessary_.

Judy reeled at her luck. Was it possible that maybe for once, things were actually going to be _easy?_ Without a second thought, she pulled the glass door open and was welcomed with a smell she knew so well she was practically aching with homesickness.

She squared her shoulders and took a deep breath, stepping up to the counter. All of this _had_ to be a good sign.

—

"Tell me what you're doing again?"

"Straightening your tie."

Nick watched her with exaggerated concern, trying to hide his feeling of unease with a layer of humor. "Right. Not strangling me or anything."

Kristie grinned up at him, patting the knot she'd adjusted before grabbing his boutonniere and making to attach it to his lapel. As she fiddled with the pin, Nick caught the scent of the sweet peas in her hands and pulled back a little, blinking in recognition.

"Something wrong?" Kristie asked, pausing in her task to peer at Nick curiously.

He scrambled for an explanation, all while recalling that he had to return Judy's university sweater to her… except he couldn't, not anymore. "Nothing," he finally managed to answer. "Just thought I saw something beautiful in the mirror."

Kristie smiled brightly up at him, eyes glittering with trust and hope and complete unawareness, and the joke he'd meant to play out– " _Me!_ " He'd planned to exclaim, planned for Kristie to whack him in the shoulder and roll her eyes at him, only to realize that that wasn't _Kristie_ , that was… that was _Judy_ – died on his lips. "You look great, Kristie." He said uncomfortably instead, swallowing thickly.

Looking pleased, she smoothed down his collar. "You don't look half bad yourself, Mister Wilde," she cooed, hooking her arm into his.

"I've always looked pretty good in uniform," he joked lamely, distracted by the shade of apprehension that painted itself over him. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about Judy and how easy it was being around her, and it _definitely_ wasn't the time to be wishing she was here instead of Kristie. It felt like he was _betraying_ Kristie, and he tried (and failed) not to wince.

Thankfully, she didn't catch the pained look that briefly crossed his face. "Oh yeah?" She giggled, taking a step towards the car. "You wear a suit and tie often?"

"Oh yeah," Nick scoffed, trying to shake off the disturbing feeling brewing in his gut. He smiled gamely at Kristie. "All the time. I was practically _born_ in formal wear, flu– _Kris_." His last syllable was so zealous that he might as well have been foaming at the mouth. In his haste to cover his correction, Nick began to ramble, and while his mouth worked itself into a frenzy over his wardrobe, his brain tried to justify his unusual behavior, because this wasn't like him. This wasn't like him _at all_.

"Nick," Kristie interrupted tentatively.

Nick pulled the door open for her before traipsing over to his side and doing the same, sliding into the seat and placing his paws on the wheel, "Cause the thing about _jackets_ is the lapel is part of what makes them formal, which complicates things, but the ZPD uniform is just–"

" _Nick_ ," Kristie tried again, a little more firmly. She squeezed his arm, and he finally stuttered to a stop. "You want to be a cop?"

He read the flick in her ear, the stillness of her tail, and he hoped she didn't read the wrinkle of his nose. _Yes. Kind of. Maybe. I've thought about it._ "Nah, I just like the uniforms," he answered, deceptively confident. "I like shiny gold bars, what can I say?"

Her grip loosened before falling away completely, and the furrow in her brow relaxed a second later, but not without hesitation. She smiled nervously. "Had me worried there for a second."

"You don't like cops?" He queried innocently. The sentiment was pretty common in the crowd he ran with– in fact, _he_ hadn't liked cops. The distaste had formed beginning with his experience with the Junior Ranger Scouts (who he'd bitterly thought were only miniature police officers) and then later intensified when he'd watched his dad get tossed around unfairly.

Yet somehow, after his conversation with his dad, he'd spent the better part of the last few days rolling the idea of _being_ a cop around in his mind, weighing out the pros and cons. It was strange, and… almost like he didn't quite know himself anymore.

Kristie shook her head. "It's not that." She pulled her clutch closer to her body, hand tightening around the glossy material. "It's just so _dangerous_."

The traffic light blinked green, and he turned left into the lot of the restaurant. Duke and the rest of the gang were already standing outside the doors, waiting for their reservation to be called and looking restless while doing so, tapping feet and tugging at collars. Emerson was chatting to a familiar-looking she-wolf, who was nodding her head every-so-often and probably awing at how much Emerson could talk, but not really _say_ anything.

As he twisted through the lot to find parking, Kristie fidgeted in her seat. "What're you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that if this guy would just hurry up and get out of this space, we'd be able to–"

"About being a _cop_ , Nick," Kristie pressed quietly, knitting her brow at him.

Nick's mouth thinned. "I'm not thinking anything. It's a dumb idea."

"It's not _dumb_ ," Kristie murmured, her eyes down while she traced a finger around the edge of her purse.

"Again," Nick joked, "but this time with more feeling."

Unfortunately, the joke fell flat, judging by the confused look on Kristie's mug. When she began talking, Nick's hands tightened around the wheel. Someone was finally backing out, and it was taking _forever_.

"It's not dumb," the vixen repeated. "It's just… It's not _you_."

The car in front of them stalled. What was this guy _doing?_ Nick drummed his fingers against the wheel with vexation.

"I mean, a fox cop is kind of unheard of. And then… I guess I just don't see you that way, Nick. I know you've grown up protecting _me_ your whole life, but I know what you're like when you're _not_ with me. All the trouble you get into. It's hard for me to… reconcile that with you being a _cop_." There was a pregnant pause, which she waved off a minute later. "But listen to me, worrying over nothing. You've got that thing lined up at the candy shop, which is easy. And comfortable! Being a cop is just such a _struggle_. If it's even possible."

He hadn't meant to jerk to a stop in the space, but all he'd heard was "if it's even possible," and his foot had slammed forward as abruptly as his brain had short-circuited. When Kristie lurched forward, Nick had the wherewithal to apologize, albeit hastily. He had other things on his mind, like, "You don't think I could be a cop?"

The thing about Kristie, Nick knew, was that she was never nasty. She wasn't the kind to shoot disapproving glances, wasn't outwardly judgmental, and didn't hold grudges. If there was any one way to describe her, it was that she was pleasant. And he knew that any opinions she had that might hurt someone's feelings, well, they were always sugar-coated.

Sure enough, her hazel eyes widened and her eyebrows pulled themselves into a worried tilt. "It's not that there's anything wrong with _you_ , Nick. It's just that there's never been a fox cop, and you've already got… _history_."

His insides twisted, but his reply was smooth and unaffected. "I like to think my track record would shake things up. Make the ZPD more interesting, y'know? Any career choice, for that matter." He flashed a smug grin at Kristie, who chuckled.

She made a noise of agreement. "Even a store manager."

There was that sinking feeling again.

"Being a cop would just be such a _rollercoaster_ ride," Kristie said, rifling through her clutch to make sure she had everything. She placed her hand on the door handle. "You'd have such a tough time, I'd hate to watch you be unhappy."

"And we know how you feel about rollercoasters," Nick ribbed, popping open his door and going around to open her's.

"That we do," she smiled, stepping out. They hooked arms and made their way to the door, conveniently stepping over the curb just as their reservation was called. Nick held the door open for their group, absent-mindedly wondering how Judy felt about rollercoasters.

—

"Is that…" Judy blinked up at the towering structure, feeling small and confused. "Is that a _rollercoaster?_ "

"Yupp!" Her dad answered chipperly, paying no mind to Judy's alarmed face and alert ears. He wrestled with the basket in his arms, finally unknotting the red-and-white checkered blanket and revealing a generous spread of vegan sandwiches. A few of the volunteers perked up at his arrival, wandering over to stick their paws into the basket and grab something for themselves. Stu rested his paws on his hips, releasing a contented sigh. "We did good, Judy."

"Why do we have a _rollercoaster?_ " Judy continued incredulously, forgetting about the barrel of lemonade in her arms. Stu took the tank from her, setting it on the table they'd laid out previously, next to the stacks of paper cups.

"Well, we already had a ferris wheel. The board thought a rollercoaster wouldn't be too much more, and it's something else for the kids to do."

"Right." She squinted at her father. "That's not dangerous or anything."

"Aw, Judes, you know how the kids can be." He grimaced and added quietly, "especially the Hutcherson's. We figured a rollercoaster would be distracting enough to keep them away from the vendors. It'd at least wear them out a little more. Don't want another one of last year's _potato_ incidents, do we?" Stu paled.

"But all that _adrenaline_ , Dad! A _rollercoaster?_ "

"Well, after the rush, you know? The crash." He made a diving motion with his paw and looked at Judy expectantly.

She quirked a reluctant smile. "Alright, I'll give you that one. Hopefully you're right… that potato incident was pretty bad."

"And _you_ didn't have to deal with the days after," Stu groused, shaking his head to ward off the memory. "Anyways, how've you been, sweetheart? Been so busy with festival prep that I haven't had time to catch up with you."

"It's fine, dad. School's great! Still valedictorian," she answered brightly, adjusting her sunhat. "Nothing to worry about."

"Alright, and how about _you?_ "

Her nose twitched. She peeked at her dad from the corner of her eye, but he was looking out towards the setup, scanning the progress they were making. "I'm… good. Nothing to talk about."

Stu did look at her then, knowing there wasn't 'nothing to talk about,' but letting it go. "Well sweetheart, I think we've got everything covered here. I've got to go talk to Rob about the ferris wheel, so why don't you go in and help your mother out? Those pies aren't going to bake themselves!"

Judy nodded, taking the basket in her arms to bring back. As she crossed through the festival grounds and into farmland, her siblings began to trail behind, crowding around her and begging for their questions to be heard.

"What happened _this_ year, Judy?"

"Did you witness a robbery?"

"Did you get in any fights?"

"Did you get _mugged?_ "

"Have you seen any dead bodies?"

"Guys," Judy laughed, twisting to her side to address the smallest bunny tugging at her shirt. After she pulled the tiny kit into her arm and onto her hip, she answered, "it's school. Nothing happens."

There was a chorus of groans. " _Boooooring_ ," one boy mourned. "Why'd you even go to the city, huh, sis?"

She shot a perplexed look at her brother. "Not to find dead bodies, that's for sure."

"Is it different?" A soft voice piped up. Round, blue eyes stared up widely at her as the little bun who owned them tripped over her feet, walking backwards so that she could keep her attention on Judy.

"Very," Judy replied. "I'm friends with a cheetah, an arctic shrew, and a f-f–" She caught herself just in time, brows furrowing. Was she still friends with Nick? She considered herself to be friends with him, she'd just needed to sort her head out. But, she figured, Nick wouldn't want to deal with a lovesick bunny. Her siblings didn't notice her grimace, too busy marveling at the mammals Judy had already listed.

"A _cheetah?_ I've read about those!"

"What's an _ardik shoo?_ "

" _A fox!_ " Somebody shrieked. Suddenly, there was a frenzy of activity. Each of her siblings tried to hide between and behind Judy's legs, their shrieks falling into nervous silence.

It took her a minute– at first, she'd wondered where they'd heard about Nick from– to register the stout fox that they'd crossed paths with.

"Judy? Judy Hopps?"

The bunny in question blinked exaggeratedly, still catching up with what was happening. Right now, she was processing through the fact that a fox that looked a lot like Gideon Grey was standing in front of her.

"It's me, it's, uh, Gideon Grey." He stuck out his paw nervously, only to snatch it back quickly and begin wringing his hands. "I'm, uh, y'know, I'm really sorry for what I did. I was young and stupid and had a lot of insecurities, which manifested itself in a lot of unchecked rage and aggression. I'm just… I was just a real jerk, and I'm sorry."

Judy continued to stare, at a loss for words. Gid interpreted her silence for the worse, and his ears flattened, eyes flitting away from her's.

"I can understand if you can't find it in yourself to forgive me, I deserve it after what I did to you." He cringed at the floor, and Judy was finally rattled out of her stupor.

"No! No, I'm totally– Gid, you're fine– I'm just– well, I mean– _wow!_ " Every word came out in a jumbled rush as Judy pieced together her thoughts. "I'm really happy for you," she said, finally managing a coherent thought.

Gideon smiled at her warmly, looking as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "Thanks, Judy. I'm happy, too. You need help with that?" He gestured to the basket in her arms.

"Oh, it's fine. It's not long 'til I'm home."

"Ah, alright," his hands fell to his sides, hanging limply and awkwardly as they stood in an equally uncomfortable silence.

Her siblings were finally stepping out of hiding, curious about this friendly interaction between two perceived, biological enemies. Their timid bravery spurred Judy on, and she squared her shoulders and tilted her head in the direction of her home. "Hey Gid, I'm curious about how you've been. Wanna walk with me?"

He straightened, looking relieved to have the quiet filled. "That'd be swell, Judy," Gideon replied brightly, sticking his hands in the pockets of his overalls and falling into step beside the much smaller bunny.

" _Aaaaw_ ," her siblings crooned, practically climbing over each other to catch a few last seconds of the sister they never got to see. "Are you leaving, Judy? Mama won't let us near the kitchen, she told us to stay near the berry bushes. When'll you come back out? How long are you staying?"

"I'll be here long enough to answer all your annoying questions," she teased, waving a paw goodbye as their small figures disappeared back towards the fields. "So," Judy prefaced breezily, dropping her hand. "You've got flour on your paws." She grinned when Gideon's tail bristled slightly in embarrassment. "What's that about?"

The burly fox chuckled nervously. "You've got a detective's eye, Judy. Shouldn't've expected any less from you, being a city bunny and all." He cleared his throat. "Well, I've been just, uh, bakin' a lot, cause my, uh… my…" His ears flicked back just enough that Judy realized Gideon was apprehensive, but he seemed to gather the determination to press on. "Well, my counselor suggested I find a hobby that was repetitive enough that I'd get used to the motions and have time to think."

"How'd you pick baking?"

"I just figured I had the resources. And I thought, well, first step, I can go and apologize to the Hopps's, and if that goes well, they'll let me use their berries at least. Kill two birds with one stone– _err_ , not kill, but just, that sayin', and you know–"

Judy laughed. "I get it, Gid."

"Yeah, thanks, sorry, I'm just nervous, this is all new to me, I never thought I'd see you again, to be honest." He peered at her contemplatively. "Those of us that end up in the city never seem to come back, huh? Wonder what the city's got, to be takin' all our folk."

Judy cocked her head at the sky, smile curling to the side of her face before she looked back at her freshly minted acquaintance. "I like to think that the ones that leave are just looking for something different, not that we've been lured."

"Is that code for you sayin' there ain't nothin' the city's got that we don't?"

Her smile widened. "I'm not saying any which ones better, but the berries _do_ taste better closer to home."

"'Course," Gideon scoffed. "Less travel time. Less pesticides. But your family uses Nighthowler, and that ain't the same. Your berries would travel fine."

It was strange, Judy thought, to be able to talk to someone about farming. She hadn't realized how long she'd gone without these kinds of conversations until she'd been smacked in the face with one. "Right? Actually, earlier last year, I came across some of our farm's produce," she bit her lip, fighting back her smile. "I knew it from the smell," she snapped her fingers, "just like that. My friend–" Her story came to a stuttering halt. But she shook it off, plowing on with her plot. "He, um, he thought it was strange."

"Aw," Gideon guffawed, slapping a paw against his knee. "You can tell them city kids from a mile away. I see them comin' here on their field trips, and it sure is hilarious to watch their eyes go wide when they see the brussels sprouts."

His description conjured images of Nick's face if he walked through the rows of flora she'd grown up in, and she giggled. "Yeah," she confessed, thinking back on how easily Nick had navigated the backroads and alleyways of Zootopia. "He was as urban as they come."

Hooking his thumbs through the straps of his overalls, Gideon leaned towards her, a curious gleam in his eye. "You seem pretty fond of this city slicker, huh?"

She felt heat pool in her cheeks, down her chest, even in the tips of her ears. "Do I?"

He circled his finger around her face, grinning broadly. "It's the smilin'. You've got the face of a bunny whose met a buck that took her to see the moon flowers."

Her laughter was affected, even to her own ears. "That's _definitely_ not what happened." After a moment's pause in which she contemplated whether she could trust Gideon– and decided, ultimately, she could, though she didn't know why she felt that way, only that she did– she admitted, "he wasn't even a rabbit, to start with."

"Oh?"

"He was a fox, actually."

Gideon stopped in his tracks, looking bewildered, and Judy suddenly felt much smaller than she ever had, looking around her and seeing the unending stretch of vegetation on all sides, arranged in orderly lines. Ahead of her, the house she'd grown up in– which had loomed over her as a kit and given her the impression that she lived in something akin to a castle– stood between it all, the peak of the roof just beginning to surface over the swell of the horizon, a tiny red pinprick against a vast sea of blue.

"A predator?"

Judy cringed, looking for an excuse and finding none. "Yeah." There was a pang in her stomach. "It's not requited, so…" Anxiety, embarrassment, all of it sat in her like stones sinking her down a river, and she wondered why she'd even brought up that last bit. It didn't change how strange her situation was (if anything, it made her _more_ pathetic), didn't make it any better, especially not to someone from Bunnyburrow.

But when Judy finally picked her gaze up and looked at Gid, he was nursing a thoughtful expression, scratching his head. He finally hummed a little before speaking up, "I'm sorry."

Judy held her breath. "It doesn't… bother you?"

"Well, I'm not gonna say I get it, but I'm not in a place to judge, and we can't help who we like. My doc says that when a person's in a situation nobody can control, the best a listener can do is try to understand." Gideon looked at her apologetically, then added shamefully while squinting at the ground, "I'da just thought you of all bunnies woulda been afraid of foxes."

Her lips tugged to the side in amusement. "He seemed to think the same thing."

"Does it bother _you?_ "

"It used to," Judy murmured, shifting the basket from under her arm to her hip. "Sometimes it still does." Her violet eyes looked ruefully at Gideon. "I mean, I'm a _bunny_. I don't really know why I'd like a fox, either."

"Well, for what it's worth, when I'd heard you'd moved to the city all those years ago, I got so stinkin' mad 'cause I was thinkin', ' _bunnies can't go to the city! Bunnies can't do nothin' but farm!_ ' But y'know, I've changed, and just from walkin' with you, I can tell you're a lot more than _just_ a bunny. Only my humble opinion."

Warmth flooded her chest, enveloping her heart until it wrapped itself so tightly around the muscle that it constricted. "Thanks, Gideon," she squeaked.

"Only speakin' the truth," he said stoutly, patting his paw against his own heart. "Besides, I think we've evolved past pure biology. A mammal can do anything if he sets his mind to it." Looking knowingly at Judy, he tapped his palm with a finger and a dusting of flour drifted off his hands.

"Wow, Gid, I'm… I'm _really_ happy for you." She wished there was a way other than words to show her sincerity.

"Don't give up on your friend, Judy. It can take a good minute for change to happen."

They both stopped in front of the double doors that lead into the burrow. Despite the bright and fresh looking coat of red paint, it was beginning to peel and flake off the surface, no doubt the work of hundreds of paws tapping and scratching and banging on the wood.

"I don't know," Judy sighed. "He seemed pretty sure he didn't want any part of it."

"I'll be darned if that's the truth," Gideon harrumphed. "But if that's how it's gonna be, then your friend's a few berries short of a bushel, Judy."

She'd planned to reply, but just before she got her first syllable out, the door swung open and her ears twitched forward as she turned. "Mom! Hi!"

"I thought I heard your voices! Glad you made it on time, Gideon, I've got your share of the work already set out. I see you've already gotten to talk to Judy," she gave the fox's arm a friendly pat. "Gideon's become one of the top bakers in the TriBurrows, Judy."

Upon hearing this, Judy turned startlingly to Gideon, eyes wide. "You didn't tell me!"

"Aw, shucks, Mrs. Hopps," Gideon rubbed the back of his neck. "I just didn't think it was worth mentionin'."

"Well, we can talk all about it over pie crusts," she beckoned the two of them inside. As the doors shut, Mrs. Hopps lead the way, the occasional group of kits swarming her feet before she shooed them away. "The berries are even better this year than the last. It'll be worth missing prom for," Judy's mother joked, turning to look at her daughter.

"Wasn't even thinking about it," Judy quipped back. It was mostly true, considering that thinking about Nick wasn't really thinking about prom. Although, Judy couldn't help but reason, the former was probably worse.

—

The problem, Nick thought to himself as he dawdled by the punch bowl, was that the night felt really _long_. As soon as he and Kristie had entered, she'd gone off to make social rounds, and he'd immediately made his way to where he was standing now, feeling the room vibrate from the volume of the music and letting the colored lights shine over him in their programmed sequence.

But it must've been _hours_ since Kristie had left his side. He was pretty sure his feet were aching (and he hadn't even budged an inch), and his eyes were beginning to droop. Every fur on his body felt heavy.

"You've been there for 10 minutes, Wilde. You come here just to stand around?"

Nick stumbled in his spot, caught completely off-guard by Ryan's booming voice. He thought for a fleeting moment that the burly rhino could get into the police academy on nothing but his authoritative timbre. Pressing a paw to his chest in the hopes of stilling his pounding heart, Nick rasped out, " _Ryan_ ," he couldn't help the nasty look as he cleared his throat, "good t'see you too, buddy."

"Are you _trying_ to be a sitting duck?"

Confusion flitted across Nick's features, twisting his mouth into a frown. "What're you talking about?"

Ryan blinked, then his brows dipped. "Carter is coming."

Every muscle in Nick tightened and every instinct heightened. "How do you know about that?"

The hard light in the rhino's eyes died down, replaced with something more tired, something that seemed a little resigned to whatever reality Ryan was living in. "We're family. He's my cousin. His business always ends up being my business." What sounded like a familial, "I've-got-your-back-you've-got-mine" kind of sentiment was coated in bitterness.

"Doesn't sound like you're too happy with that, huh, pal?" Nick prodded absent-mindedly while he searched the crowd for Kristie. He had to go before things got out of hand.

"Going into law enforcement is kind of hard when half your family tree is dealing in the black market. _Amongst_ _other things_ ," Ryan narrowed his eyes at Nick.

"He dragged me into it, alright?" Nick snapped, tail lashing as he began to panic, unable to find Kristie. "The deal had already gone sour when Carter told me to deliver the goods, which he didn't tell me, and _they_ decided to shoot the messenger. I'm just trying to keep my tail, ok?"

"Yeah?" Ryan said, voice low and rumbling as he stepped up to Nick. The rhino was so much bigger than him that his shadow cast a shadow over the fox.

" _Yeah,_ Wrinkles," Nick hissed back threateningly, ears darting backwards as he bared his fangs a little. "It's been a _year_. You don't think I'm just a _little_ sick of being hunted down by unsubtle mammoths? If I could find a way out, I'd do it. But your _family_ is a little persistent."

"Give me one reason why I should believe you. How do I know you're not still egging them on?"

"My job with them is _done!_ " Nick groaned, fisting the fur under his ears in exasperation. "It's _been_ done! _They're_ the ones trying to pin something on me that I didn't do, I'm just trying to _live_." He took a deep, frustrated breath, and managed to collect himself. "Look, I know why you wouldn't believe me," the fight to keep resentment from crawling into his words was a hard one, "I'm a fox. Slick, sneaky– trust me, whatever you're thinking, I've heard it. It's why I got the job for Roth and Carter and whoever the hell else is involved. But things've changed, ok? I'm even… I'm thinking of being a cop."

He saw the way Ryan reeled back in shock, and it bit at him in a way that name-calling didn't. Nobody seemed to think he was capable of changing, and last semester, he wouldn't have had it any other way. But these days, he wondered if he _could_ be happier, even if it meant climbing uphill. Yet nobody seemed to even _want_ him to try. He grit his teeth.

The curious (and prying) note in McHorn's voice was unmistakable. "Is this cause of Judy?"

Nick had expected something like, "You wanna write me a rec for your acting coach, slick?" or, "how many times have you practiced that speech, sly?" But Ryan's question was so left-field that all he could do was gape at the rhino. Defensiveness was his knee-jerk response, and had he been able to leap over his wall of stupefaction, he would've spluttered out something about her having nothing to do with it, that they weren't even talking. But his momentary loss of words was enough time for forced introspection, and he recalled his conversation with his dad.

He was afraid of change. That was all it was. Meeting Judy, liking (or maybe a little more) her– all of it meant wanting more, and he'd spent his entire life since he'd turned 11 suppressing that desire. On the steps of the jail, he'd figured out that he even _had_ a choice, an understanding he'd pushed to the back of his mind because it implied too much.

The things he'd said to Judy at the candy store had been a result of his feeling like he'd been backed into a corner, confronted with the reality that he _actively_ had to choose, couldn't just blindly walk through his life and pretend he was helpless to his circumstance. It was the scariest thing he'd ever experienced, and that was saying something because he'd once been chased by a gang of hyenas.

Worse, though, was how badly he'd screwed up. He would be lying if he said that not even a _small_ part of him had wanted to lift Judy into the air and tell her, " _well guess what, fluff, I'm probably in love with you too, and we'll have a grand ol' time figuring things out!_ " At the time, however, his mind had screamed at him that the risk wasn't worth the outcome, so he'd hid behind excuses like "Kristie" or "taboo interspecies relationships."

But a few days without Judy had passed before Nick realized: as afraid as he was, he still wanted more. Whatever short experience he'd had with her, she'd somehow convinced him that not only was he wholly capable of being more than just a walking stereotype, but that maybe it'd actually be _rewarding_.

'Course, he'd gone and basically told her that she wasn't much more than her biology. His ears fell back, and the urge to crawl into a hole and die was overwhelming.

"Yeah," Nick finally croaked. "It is."

Ryan eyed him pitifully. "I'll give 20 minutes to find your date, have a dance, and then get outta here. And I'll make sure to get Carter to stop hounding you. But you better not be pullin' my tail, Wilde."

"You would… do that?" Nick asked disbelievingly.

"Believe it or not, I have an idea of what you might be going through," he replied dryly. Nick, still skeptical, looked at Ryan from the corner of his eye, who huffed. "Just scram, Wilde."

Nodding, Nick stepped back. "Thanks, big guy." Ryan ducked his head before turning away and walking through the crowd, towering over most of the prom-goers.

When Nick spun around to face forward, he ran into the vixen he was looking for. " _Woah!_ " Kristie grabbed his arms to steady him, laughing a little in the process. "Somebody spike the punch bowl?"

Just as he opened his mouth to reply, there was a disturbance at the doors. Ben had a hand on his hip while he waved a finger in the faces of the scowling rhinos.

"Is something wrong?" Kristie whispered, following his line of sight. When she saw the crash of rhinos, she looked worriedly at Nick.

Apparently, Ryan had been generous when he'd said 30 minutes, because barely five had passed. Nick looked at Kristie, then back at Carter, who was now currently engaged in conversation with his cousin. If they left now, they'd get a good head start (if Ryan failed to talk Carter down).

"You can stay if you want, Kris," Nick said to her, voice strained. His eyes flickered back to Carter, and their eyes met. He swallowed.

"Nah," she said lightheartedly, ever the good sport. "Let's go catch a movie or something. It's not too late."

Guilt blocked his throat, but he forced himself past it. "Kristie," Nick murmured, unable to meet her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"No time for melodrama," Kristie joked, grabbing his wrist and pulling him after her. "It's just prom, Nick."

"Still," he continued, shaking dew off his feet before entering the car.

But she shook her head, sliding into her seat. After a beat, she looked up at him, hazel eyes a mix of pensive and sad. "Really, Nicky. We were friends before we were anything else. I'll always have your back, alright?"

He was discomfited by the way she said it and decided to overlook it. "So," Nick kept his eyes on the lights, wondering if the evening was about to get a lot longer. "What did you want to see?"


	14. Chapter 14

The bell chimed overhead at exactly 12:15 PM– right before her lunch break– and Judy lifted her head from the vase of flowers she was currently arranging. Sure enough, the bus-bunny (as Ben had nicknamed him) had entered, making a beeline for the counter. Sliding the glass vase to the side, she smiled.

"More daisies?"

He beamed back at her. "I don't know why you even bother asking."

"I like to give others the chance to surprise me," she chirped back, grabbing a ribbon– the same goldenrod one she used every time– to tie the bundle of flowers together. And, just like all the days before since she'd first seen him enter the store in May, he probably already had a 20 dollar bill in his hand. He would tell her to keep the change and have a nice day in his fancy accent, then spin on his heel to leave, ears tall and back straight.

In a sea of intricate arrangements or heavy garden deliveries, his order was like clockwork, and Judy looked forward to this daily ritual.

After all, the only familiar faces she'd seen so far this season had been Ben's and Fru Fru's, both of whom had their own summer schedules to attend to. A small part of her had hoped that by some twist of fate, Nick would somehow waltz into this particular flower shop, but every time the thought snuck up on her, she'd fight it off. Distance was good. Distance was what was prying her, finger by finger, from her attachment to the fox. The semester would start again and they'd be just normal friends, and nothing would be weird.

When she turned back around to hand him his purchase, he was holding a crisp 20 between his fingers, just like she'd known he would be. But this time, when she reached over to pluck it from his hold, he withdrew. Judy looked up at him, confused at this new step to their routine and wondering why he was teasing her, only to see that he was contemplating her seriously, nose a little scrunched and brows knit.

"I've been coming here for a month, and every time I tell myself that this'll be the day I ask you to lunch."

Judy pulled back, astonished.

"Surprise," the bunny cracked, lifting a shoulder. His grave expression melted into a cheeky grin.

It took her a minute to sort through her thoughts, and even when she finally did, all she could say was, "So all those daisies–"

"I just needed an excuse to visit." Then he added hurriedly, "I didn't throw them out, though. My neighbors haven't been in want of fresh daisies this summer, neither has the apartment staff. I'm somewhat of the building favorite right now."

Her lips quirked. "I don't even know your name."

"Jack Savage. Have my odds for a date just increased?" As eager as his question was– and as noticeable as the keen gleam in his blue eyes was– his posture was as laid-back as all the other days he'd come in.

For so many weeks of casual chatter and passable small-talk, his sudden forwardness felt so strangely out of character and unfamiliar. The gears in Judy's head spun more quickly than usual, trying to reconcile _this_ 'Jack Savage' with the bunny she'd first seen on the bus all those weeks ago, who had stepped in one morning and asked her what flowers would be _acceptable_ (that was the word he'd used, she hadn't forgotten) for a casual date with someone who seemed down-to-earth.

Thinking back and knowing what she knew now, she couldn't help but laugh. His antics were admirable, if only because Judy found it refreshing to talk to someone who didn't let any possible qualms with interspecies relationships get in the way of making his feelings known.

Not that she blamed Nick. She understood. Not that it mattered. Once they were back in school– which, she reminded herself, was still a good month and a half away. It was only June, after all– it wouldn't be important anymore. Not that it was ever important. Judy, forgetting that she had company, frowned and shook her head quickly, chiding herself for losing her train of thought to Nick _again_. _All this anxiety_ , she lamented. _We might not even be in any classes together_.

"Is that a no?" Jack asked, jerking Judy from her self-scrutiny. His disappointment was well-masked, but she still caught the note of resignation in his question.

"No!" Judy exclaimed, ears flying up. "I mean, _no_ , I'm not saying 'no,' to your offer." They stared at each other for a second, the buck looking both amused and confused. "What I'm _saying_ is, yes, lunch sounds nice. Are you free now?"

His bemusement cleared, replaced with a gladness so plain and without pretense that Judy couldn't suppress her own tentative smile. "Yes."

—

Nick stepped out into the sunlight, squinting against the daytime glare before pulling a pair of shades from his shirt pocket and slipping them on. The sun always seemed brighter early-July. He dwelled for a second on the fact that two months had already passed into the summer, and he wasn't even sure how– every day until today had been the same routine with little to no variance.

"See you, Wilde."

"Yupp. Take it easy on Carter," Nick grinned, waving a paw at Ryan as the rhino split in the opposite direction. The decision to meet with the guy (was he a friend now? Nick still wasn't sure) had been a good one, a welcome interruption to what was becoming a monotonous summer.

"I will if you turn in that application like I'm telling you to," Ryan called back.

After watching him take the corner, Nick went on his way as well, pulling out his cellphone when he felt it vibrate.

 **Kristie** : did u just walk out of snarlbucks with ryan mcHorn?

When he lifted his head to glance around himself, he found Kristie waving her arm at him from across the street, and he shot her a little wave back, already working out a plausible excuse for his unusual appearance with someone he would never have hung out with just last semester.

Kristie hugged the possum she'd been with before stepping up the crosswalk, watching the light. Nick waited on the other end of the zebra stripes, breaking into a light sweat, much to his chagrin. He tugged at the collar of the green, palm frond-print dress shirt he was wearing when Kristie looked in both directions to check for cars. Then, when their eyes met again, Nick snatched his hand away, covering up his nervous fidgeting by clearing his throat into his fist.

"I didn't know you knew Ryan," Kristie chirruped when she stepped onto the curb, taking Nick's hand into her own.

Nick pulled his shades off his head, sliding them back into his pocket. "We had calculus together."

His girlfriend made an entertained noise. "Your calc class must be pretty friendly, first Judy and now Ryan. What were you doing with him in Snarlbucks, anyways?"

Nick had a matter of seconds to figure out which direction he wanted to take this conversation with Kristie, knowing either option would turn out ugly in some way or another. Honesty seemed to be the best policy in this case– his heart began to pound– because leading Kristie on was _wrong_ of him, and dragging out this one-sided relationship with her was only going to hurt her more in the long run. Really, the kindest thing he could do was tell the truth. Rip off that bandaid.

"We were just… catching up." The last two words fizzled out, and he bit the inside of his cheek.

Kristie hummed, nodding her head. "A lot can happen in a month."

In the last second before he'd answered, he'd turned 180 degrees away from his plan to be honest, thinking he'd find relief from his anxiety by taking the easy way out. Instead, his heart pounded against his chest while it simultaneously tried to crawl out his throat. Lying didn't use to be so hard, did it?

The next hours passed in a state of semi-unawareness as Nick was unable to wave off his unease. When he finally made it back home after walking Kristie back to her place– the sun had begun to set around that time, so when he finally walked up to his front door, the night was inky black– the first thing he did was fall into his bed and stare at the ceiling, one hand in his pocket, thumb rubbing against the button that was Judy's speed dial on an app he'd installed. The day he'd gotten her number, he'd immediately set her up in his quick contacts with no justifiable reason, seeing as he'd never called her before (and had never called her after, either).

Groaning, he sat up, sliding both his hands to his face. What was he _supposed_ to do? How had his life suddenly turned so upside down? Was there even a clear solution to _any_ of what he was currently dealing with? The ZPD, Judy, Kristie– well, he reasoned, at least Ryan was taking care of Carter for him.

He clasped his fingers together, resting his chin on his thumbs. _One step at a time, Wilde. You_ _'_ _ve talked to Ryan, so what next?_ Judy wasn't an option at the moment. His eyes flickered to the dresser directly across from his bed, gaze catching on something maroon.

Judy's sweater sat innocently on the corner of the furniture, washed and folded by his mother, probably. The fur on the back of Nick's neck prickled from the heat that invaded his body. He squinted at the sweater for a second before reaching for his phone again and pressing the number 5. As the phone rang, he paced his room, preparing himself for whatever emotional chaos or social drama he might be hurtling himself into.

When a clear voice finally answered, Nick froze and swallowed thickly.

"Kristie, we need to talk. Can you meet right now?"

—

He made it to the agreed meeting place first, a little self-conscious because the block was deserted and dark, save for the lamps that lined the sidewalks and cast their unflattering light over the benches. Fortunately, Kristie arrived only a minute after him, braking her light-blue bike with its innocuous little white basket over the handlebar.

She leaned her bike against the lamp, taking a seat beside Nick, hands curled in her skirt. Nick watched as she methodically loosened her grip, and he slumped slightly, realizing that Kristie knew why they were here. He'd had an entire speech ready, only to realize it was pointless. Seeing her resignation glued the words to his throat, and all he could choke out was a feeble, "Sorry."

Kristie shook her head slowly, eyes on the ground. "You've changed, Nick. You've _been_ changing." When she finally met his eyes, she looked a little sheepish, a little scared. "I think I knew from _before_ the start that this wasn't going to work out, I just… I liked you so much that I wanted to try. And I kinda hoped…"

Her voice trailed off and her eyes followed, with the addition of glassing up. Nick stiffened, reaching a hand out robotically in response to his discomfort at seeing girls cry. Kristie waved a hand at him, "I'm fine. Just… please don't be mad."

Nick's ears pricked and he blinked his wide eyes. Kristie was so sweet– had always been that way– what was there to be mad at? Unless… dread filled his gut. Unless she'd secretly been sabotaging his life behind his back, filling Judy's head with nasty lies about him, or maybe– oh, _peas_ and _carrots_ _–_ maybe _Kristie_ had planted the test answers under Judy's seat last year. Wasn't how these things worked? The nice girl was actually the bitch? Or was that only in the movies?

So consumed with his horror, Nick just barely noticed when Kristie started speaking again. "I thought maybe you'd change back if we were together." The fist in her skirt clenched again, and her words fumbled out. "And that's awful, I know. It's been on my mind this whole time, I've had so much time to think about it, you have no idea. I've felt so horrible. Who you are now… it's worlds better than who you were before, Nick. You use to be so _sad._ Saying it all out loud now, I can't believe I ever wanted you to be who you were before. I'm… I'm _happy_ for you. I guess I'm just sad that none of it was for me."

Her smile was a little watery, but she kept the tears in check. "Which is stupid and selfish of me. I probably watch too many of those dumb soap operas."

Nick, however, was too busy mulling her words over to assure her that she wasn't brainwashed by television. "You think I've changed?" And it wasn't that he himself didn't think he'd changed, but he had been so sure the change had been private, safe from the public eye. Something for him to work out himself.

Kristie nodded, smiling gently. "You dream pretty big now, Wilde. You use to be so ok with the easy life, it was hard watching you struggle through all of this on your own."

"You could tell?" Nick asked, shocked.

Her gaze flickered away nervously. "Yeah. Everybody noticed. Finnick always told me you'd shut him out when the topic came up. And," she cringed, "I never mentioned it because I didn't want you to choose something that would take you away from me."

"Why didn't you try to convince me it would be too hard?"

"I did, didn't I?" Kristie answered sadly, guilt like a weight pressing itself down on her flattened ears. "Before prom. After I said all that stuff, I felt so _bad_. I went to the bathroom and sat in a stall and made myself think about what I was doing." Laughter bubbled out of her. "Like I was six or something. But it worked. I kind of realized that what you wanted was something good for you, and I was trying to stop you from doing that, which makes me a bad guy. I kept asking myself if _I_ could change, but I just don't want what you want."

Nick peered at her, apprehensive. "Are you… ok?"

Kristie looked ruefully at him. "I'm fine. Are _you_ ok? Aren't you… angry?"

Sinking into himself, Nick contemplated her question. _Was_ he mad at her? Did he even have the right to be? Everything she'd just said to him was something he'd only recently admitted to himself, and her desire to "temper" the change in him had been no different from his own. Accusing Kristie would make him a hypocrite.

"No," he answered after a beat. "I'm honestly just glad we're finally being honest with each other."

Kristie smiled. "I guess our relationship was kind of shallow, huh?"

"Eh, you know how it is in high school."

She laughed, raising her eyebrows. "Is that what you think about Judy?"

Alarm shot up his spine, making him sit up straight. "You knew?"

"It was pretty hard to ignore. You lit up whenever she was mentioned, so I asked Finnick. He tried to hide it from me, but _that_ pretty much told me everything I needed to know."

"And _you_ weren't mad at _me?_ " He asked, face awash with disbelief and horror.

"I already _knew_ ," she explained, exasperated with him or herself, Nick had no idea. "The way I see it, I did this to myself."

After a beat, Nick's curiosity got the better of him, and with apprehension, wondering if he was digging his own grave, he asked, "Does it bother you that she's a rabbit?"

Kristie gave him a funny look first, but it softened when she understood how much it meant to Nick that she answer sincerely. "She's a bunny, Nick. Not a… a political statement, or… a judgment of your character or something. And if you mean if I feel like a "lost to prey," no. I like to think I'm past that."

Floored by her response, he could only stare. There was nothing for him to say to that, all he could do was ruminate on the fact that Kristie was at least leagues ahead of him in _that_ aspect. So they shared the silence until Nick finally let out the breath he'd been holding. "So… what now?"

"Well, I think we agree to break up," Kristie replied in a surprisingly detached and analytical manner, though her face was still kind. "You go home and figure out what to tell Judy, and I bike back." She shrugged.

"Are you going to get home and throw yourself onto your bed and cry into your pillow?" As teasing as the comment was, Nick's voice was small and nervous.

"What are you going to do about it?" Kristie quipped back, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. It only slightly hid how sad she was.

Nick got up, offering his hand to Kristie to help her up. She took it gratefully, brushing the back of her skirt off and then grasping her bike by its handles. "I can tell everybody _you_ dumped _me_."

"Humm," Kristie said thoughtfully, raising her paw to her chin to rub it, making a show of her slow consideration. After a little bit of making Nick sweat, she dropped her hand. "That would probably help."

Nick slipped his hands into his pockets, relieved. "Well, I've gotta go up the street, and the fastest way for you is downhill…"

"I know." Kristie said, clearly amused at Nick's uncharacteristic timidity.

"You'll be ok?"

"Eh, it's just high school," Kristie parroted his words from earlier, smiling. Nick grinned back, taking a step back. "Hey, Nick?"

He stopped, looked at her. She had one foot on the pavement and one on a pedal.

"We were friends before we were anything else, ok?"

It wasn't a promise that things would immediately be back to normal between them– they'd probably be a little awkward, and if Nick was a good friend, he'd give Kristie space until he got the ok. In the end though, they both knew that some things just didn't change.

"Thanks, Kris."

She nodded, and then they parted ways, Nick walking uphill and Kristie pedaling down.

—

"The Private Academy of West Zootopia," Judy echoed, nodding her head slowly as recognition dawned on her. "That explains the uniform you were wearing on the bus. I thought I knew that crest from somewhere."

Jack smiled wryly at her. "It's a bit snobby, isn't it? A crest." He snorted, shaking his own head.

"Oh, I wouldn't say _snobby_ ," Judy said. "It's tradition, isn't it? Kind of like sororities and fraternities. School pride!" She waved her hands in the air as if she were celebrating, a goofy grin stretched across her muzzle.

There was a thoughtful gleam in his eye when his head listed to the side. Judy tried not to squirm under his deliberation. "You're one of the least assumptive mammals I've ever met."

She snorted, eyes widening as she shook her head. "No, you just haven't seen the worst of it."

"Oh?"

"It's a long story," Judy hedged, knowing she'd feel bad if she made Jack sit through her boring explanation of her recent school year. Plus, it wasn't just a _long_ story– it was complicated and problematic and just _no_.

"I have time."

She crossed her hands, uncrossed them, and then crossed them again, bouncing a foot. "Well, it's _complicated_ , too." Then, in a fit of exasperation, she let out a sigh in one quick burst. "Ok, if I'm going to be honest, it's because it has to do with this guy that I might still be hung up on."

When Jack blinked mildly, Judy cringed. "See? Yeah. Bad third-date topic. Sorry. I just didn't want to do that thing where I say, 'guess what,' and then, 'nevermind,' because I know how annoying that can be. And if we're going to get to know each other, we should be honest, right? It wouldn't be right if I had to pretend I was somebody else, with… no… is there something on my face?" She scrubbed her cheeks with her hands, feeling the heat radiating off of them, which only made her flush darker.

"No," Jack answered simply, sitting back, amusement scrawled across his features. "It's just that you're rambling. It's… funny."

He said the last part like he'd wanted to say something else but thought better of it. There was that considering, blue stare again, and Judy waited for him to say something while she wondered what _she_ could say. Maybe it was that she'd gotten use to her easy back-and-forth with Nick or maybe it really _was_ her and Jack, but she sometimes found herself grappling for conversation.

"You say you're still not quite over this buck?"

Judy gulped, looking to the space above his right shoulder. "Right. Um, fox, actually."

"A _fox?_ " She flinched at his incredulity. He noticed and immediately schooled his features. "Sorry, I was just surprised. I've encountered interspecies relationships," the knowing look he shot her didn't go unnoticed, "just not predator-prey. How… was that?" The way he asked suggested he wasn't sure what he was getting himself into.

Judy managed a pleasant enough face, though the way her eyes wrinkled at the corners revealed everything Jack needed to know about how she really felt. "Nothing actually happened, which is the thing. We weren't friends because he's a _fox_ , I thought they were shady. And then we got to be friends, and I saw that he wasn't bad at all, but _he_ thought he was, and he's too scared to change, and I caught feelings but I know I shouldn't wait around or make him change for me, so… now I'm here." Her spiel ended with an unnerving kind of finality.

His eyebrows were nearly past his ears. "You ought to create an 'abridged novels' series. I have a feeling that was a highly-condensed version of what actually happened." When Judy smiled at him, he smiled back easily before continuing, "well, as long as we're being honest, I'm just going to say that I was _going_ to ask today if you'd like to be exclusive, but judging by your circumstance, I'm not sure that's the best idea anymore." A sorry look flooded his face.

Sometime during his confession, Judy's hands had found the round edge of the table, folding over it so that she could rub anxiously at the underside of the glass. They stopped when her brain registered his sensible reaction. Baffled, she couldn't resist the uncertainty bubbling in her, waiting to be addressed. "Really?"

"Really. Unless you were thinking something else?"

"Oh, no," Judy shook her head earnestly. "I actually don't even think about what might happen whenever I go out with you."

Realizing a little too late how that sounded, she winced, but Jack only laughed. "How unassuming of you," he teased, leaning forward against the table, arms folded in front of him, ears relaxed behind him. "I'd like to be friends with you, Judy Hopps," he held his hand out, palm up.

"Just friends?

"Just friends. Maybe something will happen in the future, but not right now." The smile he gave her was wide and full of assurance. Judy placed her hand into his, ready to shake on it, when Jack's ears shot straight up. His serene expression turned curious, and Judy noticed his eyes were hovering in the space somewhere behind her.

"Carrots?"

Her own ears bolted upright. That nickname… and that voice. She could recognize that voice anywhere. Snatching her hand out of Jack's, she whipped around, expecting a view full of ruddy fur.

She wasn't disappointed, though his usual vibrant coat looked a little green. Nick housed a queer expression on his face, and it took Judy a second to see that he was staring at Jack's outstretched hand, which the hare slowly withdrew.

More surprising than running into Nick, however, was that if she had just gauged her surroundings more carefully upon arrival, she wouldn't have been surprised at all. Behind the fox, bright and mild all at the same time, stood the cheery umbrellas of the ice cream shop and the similarly pastel-colored candy shop that she'd become so familiar with.

The dismay in the pit of her stomach could fill five entire wastelands until her hackles rose defensively and she asked herself why _she_ felt guilty. She wasn't doing anything wrong. Nick had just happened by the wrong place at the wrong time, which wasn't his fault, either–

"I thought you were in love with _me?_ "

Every fur on her body stood on end, and she lurched away from him. He'd said it like he'd expected her to pine for him until she died. Whatever anger she'd just been trying to talk herself down from, she welcomed with open arms.

Nick seemed to realize how far he'd shoved his foot into his mouth, because he immediately began to clam up, mouth opening and then snapping shut and ears falling back against his head. "Hopps, that's not what–"

Judy rose from her seat, feeling like a puppet on strings with somebody besides herself at the handle. She looked at Nick, mind blanking when she saw his bright green eyes, and then back at Jack.

"Is this him?" Jack asked, eerily calm and collected, at least between Judy and Nick.

 _That_ was a stupid question, she didn't even bother answering, just looked back at Nick and said, "I have to go, actually. I'll see you later." Her voice sounded so far away, and what did she mean, _I'll see you later?_ Clearly she was losing her mind.

In a deceptively functional manner, she counted out the tip for the waiter and waved goodbye to the both of them, making a beeline for Clawhauser's place when they were out of sight.

For all of the walk, she was blissfully alone, picking apart exactly what had just happened until the knot of trepidation in her snapped. Honestly, what did it matter, she thought with resignation, pulling out her phone and tapping Ben's name in her favorite contacts list.

When Ben picked up, her voice shook. "Are you home?"

"Yupp. My parents are out, but Jack's over– _my_ Jack, I mean. You want me to get rid of him?"

"Oh– no." She stopped in her tracks, already at the foot of the stairs to Ben's door. "Actually, I'll just–"

His line rustled a little bit, and she heard his muffled voice before he finally picked back up. "Alright, all taken care of. How long'll it be 'til you're here?"

Judy didn't answer, just looked sheepishly at Jack as she climbed the stairs. Ben's boyfriend shrugged at her, both hands in the air, before waving goodbye. "I'm here."

"Oh, well that's convenient," Ben's voice trailed off as he opened his door, ending the call. "I have ice cream!" He held up two spoons, wielding them like swords that could slay sadness and self-deprecation.

"No, it's ok, I'm ok–"

"Got bunches of that vegan, cinnamon-y, carrot-cake-y flavor you like–"

"Ok."

—

By the time she reached her apartment complex, the moon was high, high, high in the sky, round and shining for all it was worth. She'd spilled her soul (and quite a few tears) across his carpet in the way only best friends could, all while gorging herself on a pint and a half of whatever Ben had stocked in his freezer. Then he'd picked up her feelings which were strewn across the floor, swept them all back together until she was coherent, and given her a ride back to her house.

When she finally dragged herself up the final step, she pulled her keys out, heading for the second to last door. It was two in the morning, and she was so ready to pass out that she almost missed the figure slumped beside her door, a dark lump in the shadow.

But she _did_ see it, and she managed to keep her shriek to herself. "Nick?" She squeaked in lieu of any terrified noise she could possibly make.

The fox's red fur rustled, and his head, which had been tilted up and against the wall, lifted heavily from its position. When Nick realized that it was _her_ , he stilled, ears flicking in attention before he eventually pulled his arms off his knees and stood up haltingly.

Judy heard a few of his bones pop, and she furrowed her brows. For all the relief she'd found at Ben's, she could still feel a smidgeon of resentment making its way through her veins. Brushing past him, she jammed her key into the lock, twisting and opening her door. "How long have you been here?" She tried to keep her tone light and neutral.

Nick hesitated, tail falling to the floor at the note of wariness she harbored. "Not long," he said, voice husky as if it'd been unused. "An hour. Maybe an hour and a half." He stopped at the entrance.

Judy stood under the door jamb, folding her hands under her armpits and hunching her shoulders, unable to meet Nick's eyes and burning under his tired stare. "Was there something you wanted?"

He swallowed and wet his lips. "I need to talk to you."


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah! You say. A warning?! Yes, my friends. A ***WARNING!*** No smut– not sure I'm ready for that. Not sure if I'll ever be ready for that, LOL– but making out to the level that might make even a teenager blush.
> 
> PREPARE YOURSELVES! *puts hat on and fastens goggles to face* THIS WILL BE THE RIDE OF YOUR LIFE not really i've just been wanting to say that really it's nothing that graphic barely anything don't even worry i'm just putting this here just in case

"I need a plan," Nick murmured to himself, tapping a fist against the pad of his paw as he paced back and forth behind Sweet Fang. Finnick watched him through his lashes, lighting up the cigarette between his lips.

After pulling a puff and tapping off the ash, he looked warily at Nick. "You've been here everyday since you broke up with Kris, sayin' the same thing, wearin' down the asphalt."

A gentle shaking sound caught Nick's attention, and he looked up to find Finn offering a cigarette to him. Nick took one glance at the box and shook his head, leaning against the wall beside Finnick and crossing his arms. "They don't taste the same. Tried a few days ago." His voice was tight.

Finn raised his eyebrows, mildly surprised, before pocketing his offer and shrugging. "Suit yourself."

Kicking off the wall, Nick sighed, shaking his head. "I need to think."

Finnick scoffed. "What've you been doing this whole time? I say just find her and spit it out." The nasty look Nick shot at him made the fennec fox raise his hands in defense.

Nick made a "nobody-asked-you"face as he popped open the driver's door to Finn's van, propping himself up against the mural on one side. "You're gonna be late to your trial."

When Finnick didn't so much as look at him, Nick raised an eyebrow. "What, are you planning to get a speeding ticket trying to get to your trial _over_ a speeding ticket?"

"I'm planting my ass right here 'til you tell me you're gonna go find the bunny."

Nick gaped. "You don't have time for that!"

"I'll tell you what I don't got time for," Finn snapped, flicking ash at Nick, who flinched away and scowled. "I don't got time to watch you tuck your tail between your legs and run. It's pathetic, Wilde. This isn't cross-country, go grow a pair."

"That's rich," Nick deadpanned, watching Finn blankly. "Coming from someone like you."

"Boohoo," Finnick mocked, twisting his fists over his eyes, cigarette wilting between his fingers, smoke curling around his face like trails of tears. "Ol' Finn's a hypocrite, boohoohoo–" He gave one more wring of his wrists before glaring so pointedly at Nick that the red fox took a step back. "Nobody gives a shit."

Narrowing his eyes, Nick turned away and shook his head. "I'm out of here. You're on your own, buddy." He began the trek uphill towards the entrance of the ice cream shop besides Sweet Fang.

"You going to go find your Ms. Wilde?" Finnick hollered, craning his neck out the window of his beloved car.

" _Yes!_ " Nick yelled back, finally acquiescing. When he heard the engine rev, he rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath about _insane fennec foxes_ and _no way am I looking for Carrots_ –

He stilled at the sound of familiar laughter, ears flicking up, then out. _Don_ _'_ _t look. Don_ _'_ _t look_.

He looked.

"Carrots?" Her hand was wrapped up in somebody else's, and he felt a little sick, gut twisting. He hardly even noticed whose hand it was, only that _Judith_ _"_ _Juju_ _" "_ _Carrots_ _" "_ _Fluff_ _" "_ _rabbit_ _" "_ _I-still-have-your-sweater_ _" "_ _prefers-blue-corn-over-white-corn_ _" "_ _I-just-realized-I-don_ _'_ _t-know-your-actual-middle-name_ _"_ _Hopps_ was on a _date_? With someone who wasn't him? Only a few months after their whole debacle?

The small satisfaction he felt when she whipped her paw out of the hare's was squashed by the panic on her face. His mouth moved of its own accord, the words falling out like he had no control. "I thought you were in love with _me?_ "

The way her entire expression rearranged set off a rapid-fire series of cursing in his head. What the hell was _wrong_ with him? He might as well have just brought a shovel and started digging his own grave.

When Judy flinched, his heart dropped, and his ears with it. He stepped up to the separator, wanting to apologize but feeling all the words stop up in his throat like there was a blockade. "Hopps," he finally managed to croak, "that's not what–"

She stood up, and Nick's paw dropped from the post of the short fence that he'd been clutching. There were shallow indentations where his nails had dug into the wood.

"Is this him?"

Nick had completely forgotten about their audience, and he felt the heat of embarrassment rush to his neck. But the awkwardness of airing his dirty laundry to the stranger in front of him wore off when he realized that the question the silver hare had just asked implied that he and Judy might have been talking about him, and he didn't know whether to feel relieved that Judy was still thinking about him or afraid that even if she was thinking of him, it wasn't anything good.

Too busy sorting through his mixed emotions, he didn't catch what Judy said, only saw that she counted out a few bills before leaving. When she turned the corner, Nick's eyes snapped to the hare who was still sitting and whose blue eyes had been trained on the fox the entire time.

"And you are?" Nick squinted, not bothering to keep the disinterest and minor animosity out of his voice.

"Jack Savage."

"New boyfriend?"

Jack gave a bark of laughter. "Sadly, no." The pensive gleam in his eye disconcerted Nick. "Just two friends meeting up to talk."

Every muscle in Nick's body relaxed, and Jack's grin grew at the way Nick visibly loosened up. "Unrequited on my end," Jack mentioned breezily, easing back into his seat and watching Nick closely again. "She said she's still hung up on somebody else."

"Is that so?" Nick murmured, observing Jack inscrutably before his eyes trailed after the path Judy had walked. His fist clenched and then unclenched, mind already far away from his current conversation. Blinking, he pulled himself back to present-day, looking blankly at Jack before taking a step backwards. "It was nice meeting you, I've gotta go."

He didn't so much as wait for Jack to reply before pacing away with his hands in his pockets, heading in the direction Judy had gone.

But when he was finally standing at her door, hand raised to knock, he hesitated. What was he even supposed to say? "Sorry"? "I know I'm the worst, but actually I just wanted to let you know that I'm probably in love with you, too"? "Hey, I still have your sweater"?

Honestly though, he'd messed up this whole ordeal so much that he couldn't help but think that at this point, there wasn't anything worse he could say or do. Plus, he was here, right?

Blood pumping thickly, he knocked on the door. Ten seconds passed and nobody answered the door. 30 seconds. One minute. Clearly there was nobody here. Judy had rushed off to some place that Nick had no idea of, and now he had to figure out what to do.

_Well_ , he mused. _She has to come back eventually, right?_

With a sigh, he leaned against the cold brick beside her door, sliding to the floor.

—

_Eventually_ came nine hours later– nine hours of fielding suspicious glares from neighbors who had to pass by him, nine hours of fighting boredom (five of those hours with a dead phone, which were then spent fighting sleep), nine hours of constantly wondering if he should stop by the little place across the street for coffee, but _wouldn't it be just my luck if she came back when I was gone?_

During the hours when he'd been less of a vegetable, he'd jumped up every time at the sound of keys jingling, standing to his full height so that he could properly tell Judy how sorry he was.

That, however, had worn off around the second hour. Three more hours after that, and Nick was now the proud owner of useful knowledge like that there were 372 bricks on this wall, at least so far as his eye could see from the position he was sitting in. More interesting was the way her neighbors walked up the stairs: some of them rather light on their feet, others taking advantage of their cloven hooves and making as much noise as possible. He'd found himself very familiar with one of the tenants based solely on the unusual 1-2 beat of her hooves against concrete (and that she always hummed the Mission Impawsible theme going up the stairs, for some reason).

So when, at two in the morning, somebody's keys had the _audacity_ to interrupt his attempt to count as high as he could, it was really no surprise that he was not phased at all. He continued to count in his head, eyes on the moon.

"Nick?"

Somebody had called his name. Was he supposed to respond?

_Wait_.

It was Judy. Judy was standing at her neighbor's door, staring at him like she'd never seen him before. Nick scrambled to his feet, except his haste was hindered by his protesting joints, which had become so comfortable in the position he'd been in for the hours he'd sat against the wall of this apartment hallway-turned-prison.

Her expression hardened. When she brushed past him, he shivered (it felt like it'd been years since he'd had mammal contact, Nick thought melodramatically). "How long have you been here?"

Taking a minute to decide if he should tell her the truth (he risked either looking pathetic or making Judy feel guilty, neither of which he wanted), he licked his bottom lip and said, "Not long." His eyes widened, surprised at the sound of his own voice, which sounded as dry as he felt. "An hour. Maybe an hour and a half."

Nick followed Judy to her door before he realized what he was doing and froze at the threshold of her living space. Was he allowed to come in? It was amazing, he thought, that one interaction gone sour could make somebody question everything that had once been so normal.

Judy hadn't bothered to turn the light on behind her, and the way she was carrying herself coupled with the darkness behind her made her look a lot smaller and sadder than he'd ever thought she _could_ look. Something like shame did a taunting dance in his chest.

"Was there something you wanted?"

"I need to talk to you."

Her eyes flashed, and she crossed her arms before turning away and pattering into her kitchen. Nick tailed her after a moment of indecisiveness, closing the front door and then standing anxiously in the alcove that lead into the kitchen. She'd turned a lamp in the living room on before setting a kettle of water onto the stove, eyes glued to that instead of to him.

"Carrots– _err_ , no. Scratch that. _Judy_. I'm… _sorry_." His apology sounded even stupider out loud, and he wondered if it was legal for nine hours of practice to just fly out the window like that.

"You really… _hurt_ me, Nick," Judy said in response, voice breaking just a little.

He rubbed his paws over his face, leaning back onto the counter. "I know. I know, and what I did was so wrong. I didn't mean to just _say_ that– I don't even know how it happened, I think I just saw him and freaked out–"

"I'm not talking about Jack," Judy said quietly, almost drowned out by the kettle that was beginning to whistle. She popped the spout open and turned the dial of the stove until the fire clicked off.

Oh. His brain reviewed their past interactions like a flip book, stopping at her confession at Sweet Fang.

_Oh_.

Judy took a deep breath and tried to release any residual fury on the exhale. "I thought you liked me. Or at least you trusted me. But I wish I had't said anything at all. I was so… stupid. And naive, I guess." Shrugging, she observed the contents of her mug.

Nick flexed his hand and kept his tone neutral despite the thundering in his ears. The question was begging to be asked. "Why, 'cause you trusted me?"

Exhaustion darkened her face, but surprisingly enough, there was no trace of anger. Not even a hint of frustration. "Look, it's not because you're a fox. I figured out a long time ago that you're more than… that. I just thought," she shrugged again, trying to keep the hurt off her face. Still, her insecurity showed itself in the way she slumped her shoulders and shrunk into herself. "I just thought that you were the same. I didn't think I was just a bunny to you. So when you said what you said, I was… surprised."

_Disappointed_ , he wanted to correct her, knowing that that was what she'd been thinking. Truthfully, he'd been disappointed in himself since then as well. "Judy…" he straightened off the counter and took a step in her direction. Judy took one step back, ears twitching like they wanted to shoot up in alarm.

"I'm fine, Nick. I mean, I did feel like there was something wrong with me, because what bunny falls in love with a fox?" The smile she plastered onto her face was every level of fake, and Nick wished he could take back every dumb thing he'd said. "But you know how Ben is. He knocked sense into me. And these past two months have been really good!"

For the first time that night, she looked a little eager, like she really wanted to assure Nick that she wasn't a mess. The determination he'd become so familiar with, that he'd characterized her with from the first day they'd met, seemed to be seeping back into her. It gave him the courage to take another step towards her, and she didn't seem to notice, so caught up in pepping herself up. "I got a job that I really like."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, at a florist's. And, um, I met… the weather's been really nice, y'know?"

"Can't say I disagree," he said softly, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"And I, uh, met somebody. He's really nice. I really… like him."

He took a step towards her. She took a step back. "He told me you two were just friends."

Judy blinked, clutching her mug. She was shaking– the ripples in her tea gave her away. "Oh. Well, I mean, I did tell him I probably wasn't ready for a relationship yet, but you know, 'slow and steady wins the race!'"

"He said you were still hung up on somebody."

She bit her lip to keep it from trembling and drew her cup closer to herself. "What do you want, Nick?"

Her voice was so sad. So defeated. Nick crossed the space left between them, and Judy stumbled backwards, startling when her back hit the counter. Taking her hands, he peeled her fingers off the mug, taking it by the handle himself and setting it behind her. "I filled out an application for the Academy." He pulled away, sticking his hand back into his pocket and looking at the floor, scuffing his toe against a spot of dirt.

Nick didn't see her surprise so much as he heard it. "That's… interesting."

"Yeah. I, uh, talked to my dad after… we… y'know. He suggested it and I couldn't get it out of my head."

"I'm glad for you."

She made to leave, probably planning to tell him she was tired, that the conversation was done now and Nick was welcome to go back home. So he grabbed her wrist out of panic and said _everything_.

"I'm not asking you to forgive me, in fact, I don't even expect you to. I was an _ass_ – er, no, that's not– I mean, there's nothing wrong with… _cheese and crackers_ – Look, _I_ didn't even know I was such a bigot until you… held it under my nose for me to smell. And it's _rank_ , Judy. I'm so sorry. I wish…" He trailed off, not knowing where that thought was going, so instead he chanced a look at her. She was watching him, breaths shallow and eyes a little glassy. Remembering the grip he had on her wrist, he swallowed and slipped his paw around her hand instead. "I wouldn't have ever figured it out if I'd never met you. I wouldn't have filled the application without knowing you, either.

"And the thing is, there's a lot of things I wouldn't have done– wouldn't _do_ – without you. And that freaked me out at first because it felt like I needed you, and I don't… _need_ anybody. I don't do that. So, y'know, me being the idiot that I am–" Just the briefest shadow of a smile flickered across Judy's face, and he was amazed at the amount of hope such a small movement could inspire, "– I thought time away would remind me of how good and easy life was before.

"Which completely _backfired_. I don't know what's wrong with me, but it's like I know I can do whatever I want on my own. I can hustle who I want, when I want– but I don't even want what I wanted before." Pausing, Nick looked at her strangely, lightbulb flickering to life in his mind. "You know, at first I was scared of you because you made me ask myself all these questions about what I really wanted, but when you _weren't_ around, I was scared of how _boring_ what I wanted before was. Maybe boring isn't the right word, but it's just… I can't pretend that I'm happy with settling anymore. "

Though she was no longer sporting the wide-eyed and fragile expression on her face, the new look was frustratingly incomprehensible. Nick's heart sank. "That didn't make any sense, did it?"

"No," Judy said quickly, shaking her head. "No, it made sense– well, it was a little confusing, 'cause you were talking about being a bigot but then you were talking about how things had changed, but for the most part I got it–" She shook her head again, trying to maintain her train of thought. Her eyes fell to the floor for a second, brows furrowing briefly. Then she looked back up at Nick. "You think that was me, Nick?"

Blinking rapidly, he leaned back. "Yeah."

Her smile was a little sad. "I don't." She took his other paw, squeezing gently. "I mean, maybe I got the ball rolling, but I think you always wanted more. You just needed someone to show you that it was ok for you to want more. Everything else was all _you_."

Nick squinted at her. "What're you saying?"

Judy took a deep breath in. Nick had gotten here with leaps and bounds, sometimes tripping over himself, sometimes knocked to the ground and forced to drag himself along by his elbows. But he was _here_ , and now he _got it_ , and _good for him_. Even if it meant she wasn't going to be around for the rest of his life.

_Stop being so dramatic_ , she scolded. They'd see each other around, probably between classes, maybe even at the city center when they were both cops. Although it'd be in that sad way where his face would remind her of how close they'd been, but that they'd become strangers just passing each other in the halls. Her spirits dipped lower than they already were.

"It was _you_ , Nick. You don't need me." Forcing a smile to her face, she tightened her grip just one last time before letting go of his hands and beginning to edge away from Nick. "I was pretty angry at you before, but I'm happy now. You've made so much progress and it's so good to hear, and this is going to be so great for Kristie, and you know what else is amazing?"

Peas and carrots, she was starting to ramble, half of it nerves and the other half a probably useless attempt to keep tears from springing to her eyes. " _You can make your dreams come true!_ You've just gotta remember that you're _not_ just a fox, you can do whatever you set your mind to– and I mean, it'll be harder for us little guys, but we'll get there eventually, and it'll be great, and– _and–_ " She hiccuped, swiping her arms over her eyes repeatedly before just covering her tears and avoiding Nick's confused gaze while she continued to sidle away from him.

Then, she yelped, feeling herself being yanked forward, lifted off the ground, and set onto the counter. Nick huffed, his breath rustling the fur on her head. Judy peered at him from the spaces between her fingers.

"Alright fluff, listen." The glimpse of anxiety in his words was covered smartly by a bravado he didn't feel but faked very well. "I think we're miscommunicating on some level, so let me clarify. First, I can _see_ you looking at me. Move your hands."

When she moved more slowly than he liked, he gently grasped her paws with his own and brought them down beside her, effectively caging her with his own arms. Judy tried hard not to blink, knowing tears would fall if she did.

"Second, you sound like a Disneigh movie. It's a little embarrassing, but I'll overlook it because I–" His face softened, eyes turning to liquid. Quietly, nervously, he looked her in the eye and said, "because I like you."

Her breath caught.

"You said I don't need you, and you're probably right. I probably don't need you. It's not like I'm incomplete and looking for some missing half of myself. But I don't think that's you, either. I don't think _you_ need _me_. Really," he scoffed, looking away. "It'd probably be better if you stayed away from guys like me." He brushed his thumb over her knuckles, sounding more like he was talking himself through his thoughts than he was talking to her. "You'd be happier without some idiot's insecurities weighing you down, and I'd be…" His voice trailed off, and Judy waited, heart racing like she was sprinting uphill.

"You'd be what, Nick?" She whispered when she couldn't take the silence any longer.

He looked up at her, and she almost burst into tears just from how sad he looked. "Honestly? Probably miserable. Because even if I don't need you, I really _want_ you."

Floored, Judy could only gape at him. Throat dry, she squeaked, "But what about–"

"Kristie and I split, Judy. She knew the entire time."

Guilt strutted up to her and hugged her like they were old friends. Her ears stiffened against her back, and her nose wriggled unhappily. "I'm so sorry," Judy whispered. "This is my fault, isn't it? You were spending too much time with me, and she thought you had feelings for _me_ , and then she got insecure and–"

" _No_ , Judy. She knew I liked you even _before_ she asked me out."

Judy's ears skyrocketed. "I don't understand."

"I'm pretty sure I've liked you since the moment you told me I was going to be expelled if I got caught with weed," Nick answered a little dryly. "And everybody could tell except you and me."

Everything he was saying sounded so nice. So nice and so perfect– it wasn't her fault that happiness was swelling inside her. But, her head tempered, it all sounded _too_ perfect. She bit her cheek, not wanting to burst her own bubble, but knowing she couldn't walk into something that was destined not to work out. "I'm a rabbit, Nick. It sounds like it doesn't bother you right now, but what about in a month?"

When his ears flattened, Judy's hopes flattened with it. She hoped that maybe heartbreak wouldn't feel so bad the second time around. "That's what I thought. It's ok, Nick, I get it. It's scary and probably not worth it–"

"Wait, Judy," as Judy tried to twist her hands out from under his, Nick doggedly latched on. "Stop trying to run from me, Carrots, jeez. Give me a minute to even say something, alright?"

He finally got her to stop squirming, although only because he nudged her throat with his nose, which caught her completely by surprise. "Yeah, it's scary. It's so scary that for the past few months, I pretended that I didn't have feelings for you and that I wasn't into rabbits because I knew people would make life harder for me if I was, and I thought it would be easier to get over whatever crush I had if I pretended to have a problem with something easier to address than 'hey, I don't believe in myself because nobody else seems to, but look at this bunny whose basically the first mammal besides my dad to tell me I can do whatever I want with my life and actually seems to believe in me and I might be getting kind of attached!'

'Cause interspecies is one thing– society is finally kind of getting over _that–_ but pred-prey is new territory. And alright, to be completely honest? _I_ didn't even know I was into bunnies. I've seen tons of bunnies, you're not exactly a rare species, but I've never reacted. It's just _you_ , Judy. It's you and who you are, it's not just that you're a bunny. But people won't look at us and see that. Sure, the guys joke about it, but it's because they don't think it'll actually happen. And we haven't even _graduated_ yet– I mean, high school is… it's a hell hole filled with pubescent idiots who think shitting on other people is _fun_. But I don't think real life is any better. So _yeah_ , I was scared. Aren't _you?_ "

She could only nod mutely as Nick breathed heavily. He had obviously worked himself into a tizzy– she could feel him trembling under her hand.

"But you're not as scared as me. _No_ , don't deny it, I _know_ you aren't. And I know why. I figured it out. You've got all these people who love and support you no matter what. I didn't think I did, but I know now that I do. Which," Nick shot her a meaningful glance, "is also because of you."

Inhaling slowly, he slid his palms off her hands to the cool marble she was seated on. "I'm willing to try– I… I _want_ to try. But I'll probably need a lot of help. You'll probably have to tell me once every day that you love me and our relationship is worth it, because even if I know it is, there'll be days where I'm ready to throw in the towel.

"But I'm in love with you. You make me happy. You make me _better_ , as stupid and cheesy as that sounds. But I'm not going to deny it anymore, because denying it was the hardest and stupidest thing I've ever done. The only thing harder would be _actually_ being in a relationship with you, but at least we'd be _happy_."

Suddenly, he looked absolutely stricken. " _I_ would be happy. Would you?" He swore, pulling away from Judy. "This whole time, I assumed you still… Judy, do you even like me still? If you hate me, I understand–"

Could hearts somersault? Because her's was definitely doing that.

"I'm still in love with you," Judy breathed. "Probably more than before. Sly fox. Bet you planned this all along, huh?"

The sheer disbelief he was experiencing showed itself in his mouth, which hung slightly ajar, and the way he was looking at her in wonder. He finally dropped his forehead to her knees, sounding ashamed. "I'm so sorry, Judy. We could've avoided all of this if I wasn't such an idiot. Everything I said, I didn't mean any of it. Bunnies can fall in love with foxes– thank god they do, actually– bunnies can be cops, hell, be whatever you want, you'll probably be the best at it no matter what. I love you, ok? I love you, I'm in love with you, and I'm an idiot."

Smiling, she bit her lip, coaxing his head up with a hand under his chin so that they were eye-to-eye. "Hey," she said gently. "We both made a lot of mistakes. I can't promise everything will be ok, but we'll work together. And as for you being an idiot, well, they say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem."

Expecting a snappy reply, she was thrown by what he said next, which seemed to come out of nowhere. "I'd really like to kiss you right now." The words were throaty and a little raw, and Judy couldn't help the way her body reacted to the sound. Her breath hitched.

Nick cleared his throat. "But I'm kind of afraid you're gonna run. You've been doing that a lot tonight, and I'm not sure my ego can take anymore of it." His hand drifted up her side while he spoke, stopping at her waist, and she shivered at the heat.

"You can kiss me," she answered in a single breath, hand falling away from his face, lingering in the space between his chest and her's.

Nick didn't waste any time in wrapping his hands around her hips and tugging her body to him, reveling in the way she gasped and then sighed contentedly, responding with a satisfied groan of his own. Her paws, which had been clutching at his shirt, wound their way up his chest and around his neck. One of them creeped up the back of his head, thumbing the space behind his ear, and he was helpless to the sensation, tail shooting straight up while his ears flickered askew and a small whine escaped the back of his throat.

Judy smiled when he nipped her bottom lip and hastily grappled for her, digging his hands into the bottom of her thighs to drag her closer to him. Warmth pooled in her stomach at the way he smoothed his hands over her back, her sides, stopping on her– she yelped and jerked away.

Nick fell forward for a second, still chasing her lips, before his eyes slid open. The color in his orbs– usually spring green, now something that reminded her more of the scarier parts of a dense forest– made her almost forget what she was going to say, if not for the hand that was still cradling her tail, rubbing the side of the appendage lazily. She grabbed the offending paw and clumsily placed it back onto the counter before the moan that was working its way out of her could make its fabulous debut.

"Don't touch my tail," she panted, flushed to her ears, pupils so blown that only a sliver of purple ringed them. He stared at her dumbly for a minute before the daze melted into smug understanding. The flush expanded to her toes.

"Alright," voice annoyingly bright, cheery, chirpy, put-together, despite the thick, dark look in his eyes. "I'll save that for some other time."

He was already beginning to lean in again, but stopped when Judy pressed a paw to his chest and said shyly, "You're pretty good at this."

" _Pretty_ good?" Nick back away and raised his eyebrows.

Judy rolled her eyes. " _Really_ good."

"I've had practice," he replied, looking extremely self-satisfied. Judy snorted.

"With what, the back of your hand?"

Nick huffed out of his nose, pretending to be offended. "I'll have you know that girl's _love_ me. Practically lining up to kiss me. Also, I don't like how comfortable you're getting with this relationship already–"

"Lined up, huh?" Judy cocked her head, squinting at Nick. "Guess that makes me lucky, since I'm the only one to keep your interest. Nicholas Piberius Wilde, domesticated by a _dumb bunny_ ," she teased.

"Well, you _are_ really good at this–" He blinked when Judy's confident smile faltered and she blushed timorously, which made _him_ grin predatorily. "You've never kissed anybody before, _have you?_ "

"Shush you," Judy muttered, blushing and glaring at the fur at his ruff as she pulled him in by the hem of his shirt, tightening her legs on either side of him. He complied easily, eager to duck down and return to what they'd previously been engaged in.

"Wait," Nick said haltingly, grabbing her wrists and pulling them away from his face mechanically. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her, bending backwards to examine her. "How do you know my middle name?"

Judy, still basking in their near-kiss just now, looked at Nick hazily and with more than a little confusion. "Role call at the beginning of the semester. They call my full name, too."

"Huh." He scratched his ear. "Guess I should pay more attention."

"Mhm," Judy hummed, stretching her arms out to him, not caring if she came off needy. "Right now I'd love if you paid more attention to _me_."

But Nick was not to be distracted. " _Do_ you have a middle name?"

Judy groaned in frustration, dropping her arms. "Laverne."

"Judy Laverne Hopps?"

" _Judith_."

"'Judith Laverne Hopps,'" Nick murmured, piecing her name together carefully like it was the last piece to a puzzle. "Just wondering," he answered, smiling winningly before making to press his mouth back to her's like she wanted.

Except just a breath away from meeting, he jerked back, leaving Judy suspended halfway with her eyes closed and her lips parted. After a few seconds of nothing, hey eyelashes fluttered apart and she eye Nick dreamily, then crossly, feeling a little stupid and _definitely_ peeved.

Nick, on the other hand, looked smug beyond belief. He was practically preening. "I can't wait to tell everybody I'm dating the valedictorian. Think it'll get me brownie points with the teachers?"

Growling, Judy pulled him down by his collar. "Just shut up and kiss me, dumb fox."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wait guys i'm so happy with this chapter
> 
> ok but anyways This time, I googled, "do ex-smokers ever dislike cigarettes?" Really, this fic has just been one big adventure (and it ain't even over yet!). I mean, the useless things I'm learning?! Incredible! LOL (just kidding, maybe this will all come in handy one day?).
> 
> Yes, alright, so actually, I have a big announcement. School is right around the corner for me, which means updates are going to start slowing down– a lot. I'm hoping my schedule won't be as bad as I think and that I'll still be able to update at my current pace, but if I'm honest, that's really unlikely. It pains me so! much! to have less time to write because I enjoy writing and I also really want to finish BLY. In fact, when I started this fic, I intended to have it finished by now
> 
> (funny thing, life is.)… but, well, the way things are right now, I mostly just hoped I could get this chapter out before I start my classes, HAHA.
> 
> It's actually amazing what a monster of a story this fic has become. I remember summer starting and up until mid-July, I was constantly thinking, "Yeah! This fic will totally be done before classes start! Can't wait to get to the end, it'll feel like such an accomplishment!" And now I'm sitting on this damn dining table chair that has become my writing-spot (I've been sleeping in the living room on the couch the ENTIRE. SUMMER. I haven't folded a LICK of laundry, I just throw it onto my bed and… SLEEP ON THE COUCH because I"m a chum) like, "wait what you do mean i have like two arcs left how am i supposed to even finish this before NEXT summer?!"
> 
> So yeah, that was the big (unfortunate) announcement. This fic isn't over yet (far from it, in fact, gah! But we're definitely past the halfway point. I think. If I don't decide to add anything. Which I'm pretty sure I won't, because I haven't made any changes since my last plan, which was mid/late-mid June, I think?), but at least this chapter doesn't end in much of a cliffhanger, HAHA!
> 
> Thank you all so much for keeping up with me in this journey. :"DDDDD This has been an extremely enlightening experience so far HAHAHA not even just because I google so many random things, but also just… like.. putting aside time/scheduling hours to write, time-management… It's weird to think of how much a part of my life writing fic has become! And all thanks to the encouragement you all give! I'm so grateful for all of you! Thank you thank you THANK YOU TIMES A MILLION!


	16. Chapter 16

Judy prodded the crust of the pie she'd just pulled out of the oven, hissing when she burned herself on the crisp, golden pastry. The stripe of dough that she was scrutinizing hung just slightly over the pie pan among the circle of exact edges, taunting her in its imperfection.

"What is this for again? Home ec? Since when did they add pie-baking to the home ec curriculum?"

She straightened and walked over to the sink to run her throbbing finger under cool water. "They didn't, and I'm not taking home ec. I'm practicing this pie for something else."

"Ah. I was gonna say. I would've known if they'd added pie-baking, cause Kristie always keeps me up to date on the home ec class. She knows how much I've wanted to learn how to make my _very own_ blueberry pie."

With her back to him, Judy smiled and rolled her eyes at his patronizing comment. "Are you and Kristie good now, then? I _thought_ I'd heard that she and Preston Redmane had a thing."

"Lies," Nick said nonchalantly, examining the pie. "Getting over me is like getting over a 10 foot hurdle."

"That's no problem for a bunny," Judy quipped back, smiling cheekily and expecting Nick to roll his eyes at her. Instead, his gaze darted to her thighs, then back to her face. When he quirked an appreciative smile at her, she felt heat rush to her ears and immediately turned away from his attention to fuss at the pie.

She froze when Nick sidled up behind her, tensing when his front pressed against her back. But all he did was reach over her shoulder to snap off the wayward edge of crust and pop it into his mouth.

His eyes immediately brimmed with tears, and he fanned his mouth as it hung open. " _Hot! Hot hot hot!_ "

"I _told_ you," Judy _tsk_ ed, masking her relief with exasperation well. She relaxed as Nick grappled for the glass of ice water she was holding out to him, prepared beforehand _specifically_ for this.

Taking a few gulps, Nick swiped his muzzle with the back of his arm. "First of all, bunnies can't jump 10-feet. Secondly, what _is_ this for, fluff?" He raised the glass to his mouth again, finishing it off as he peered at Judy from over the lip.

"Your mom."

He choked. " _What?_ "

Unfazed, Judy explained, "I have to meet her eventually, right? I've already met your dad."

"Ok, but it's only _September_ , and I was thinking more Christmouse or Hanukklaw, maybe even fall break if things were going well–"

Her entire face lit up. "So you _were_ thinking about it!" Then her brow creased and she cocked her head to the side, nose twitching. "'If things were going well?'"

When Nick waved his paw dismissively, Judy narrowed her eyes at him before donning an overly-innocent expression. " _Are_ things going well, Nick?"

He knew she was toying with him, judging by the way his mouth sloped into an easy, amused smile as he reached out to her. Judy yelped when he pulled her to him by her waist and crushed her to his chest, her noises of complaint muffled by his shirt. She quieted completely when she felt him duck and rest his chin on her head.

"You tell _me_ , Hopps."

Face still pressed into his warmth, she worked through the past month and a half of their relationship and found that it had been surprisingly smooth. She'd slipped easily into being referred to as a part of a pair, become accustomed to being asked how Nick was, found that the pronouns "we" and "us" were no more difficult than "me" and "I."

On the flip side, she was still trying to figure out how to answer the curious looks and innocuous questions from well-meaning classmates while juggling the judgmental glaring and whispering from the more malevolent parties.

And surprisingly, Nick was handling the whispering well, though she never failed to notice how his tail would sink just a little closer to the floor. So she'd developed a habit of grabbing his paw and squeezing every time they found themselves in such a situation.

All in all though, things were going pretty well. In fact, things seemed so simple that it made something uneasy wiggle between her ribcage, but Judy shooed it off and concentrated on the question she'd been asked, leaning away from Nick and squinting at him.

"You've already told your mom fall break, haven't you?"

"Clever bunny," Nick crooned, stepping away from her to tweak one of her ears. Judy smiled, lifting herself onto her toes to press a quick kiss to his mouth. When she pulled away, Nick chased after her with his eyes still closed and lips still puckered.

"Guess that means you'll be spending Christmouse at Bunnyburrow!" Judy sing-songed, face smug. Nick's verdant eyes snapped open as he jerked up to his full height.

It was lucky that he had a shiny coat of red fur to hide the result of the blood draining from his face. "What?"

"It'll be fun!" Judy grinned up at him, patting his tie down. "Holidays at Bunnyburrow are _quite_ the event."

"That's the first time I've ever heard anybody call a nightmare 'fun.'"

"So dramatic," Judy teased affectionately. "You'll be fine, you dummy."

"Well," Nick scoffed, placing a paw delicately over his (pounding) heart and faking offense. "I _never_. This _dummy_ " –he waved a finger over his face– "got you a 99 in physics."

Her smile grew a fraction while she shook her head and measured out a cup of flour into a bowl, flicking some at Nick in the process. "You'll like it. I promise."

Nick's anxiety was so much so that she didn't _hear_ itwhen he spokeso much as she felt it radiating off his body. The second of hesitation before he said anything was much less intrusive than the waves of tension making the air between them thick. "You promise?"

At the meek sound of his voice, Judy turned around to draw the poor animal into her arms and blabber whatever soothing adages she could think of. Nick, however, seemed to have a different idea, because as soon as he saw her face, his doleful expression slipped into a toothy grin, and he raised his paw to pat flour across her nose.

Huffing, Judy grabbed his striped tie with a floured paw, pulling him down so that she could wipe the flat of her hand down his cheek. "And to think I was actually worried about you," she sniffed, tamping down her amusement so that she could glare at him.

His laugh was a series of loud and wide syllables that cracked open Judy's act, and all she could do was bite her lip as she smiled and stared at his mirth. In a second of mischief, she let go of his tie so that she could cover his laughter with both her paws, effectively stopping his guffawing.

Their eyes met, Nick's gleaming in a way that had Judy dropping her hands– a cloud of powder following in the wake– to step away cautiously. She squeaked when Nick lifted her off the ground to press a dusty kiss to her forehead, then her cheek, then her other cheek.

Laughing and struggling for breath, Judy tried to fend off his advances. "Put me– _down!_ You _"_ –several clouds of flour ballooned into the air– "animal!"

"Alright," he chirped. Pleased that he had acquiesced so easily, and completely oblivious to the smirk on Nick's face, Judy stretched her toes to the ground, prepared to be set on her feet.

But Nick had other plans, and instead of placing her back on the floor like she'd hoped, he planted her right on the counter and obnoxiously smothered her face with his, being sure to give her a nice, even dusting of flour. Pulling away to examine his work, he smiled in satisfaction and kissed her soundly on her mouth.

When they pulled apart, Judy smiled at Nick before looking down and saying slowly, shyly, "You're not the only one, y'know. I'm… pretty nervous about meeting your mom myself."

Nick groaned, slumping and dropping his head onto her shoulder. "My mom is _obsessed_ with you. That pie you're making? Well, lemme just tell you, Carrots: you're wasting your time. That'd just earn you extra credit at this point."

Judy raised her eyebrows, mouth stretching into an enthusiastic grin. "Well," she said as she pushed Nick back by his shoulders and leapt to her feet, spinning back to her second attempt at the perfect pie. "You know how I feel about extra credit!"

—

As the line rang, Judy paced between the rooms of the apartment, drafting out the speech she intended to give her parents and debating if she should begin with an apology for waiting so long to tell them, or dive straight into her confession.

Just as she took a seat, the ringing ended and her mother's voice burst through the speaker, a terrifyingly loud, " _hello?_ " that made Judy leap back into the air and begin pacing again. She could hear the sound of kits bouncing around and screaming, and it only served to heighten her nerves.

"Mom!"

"Sweetheart, how're you?" Then, quietly, she added, "How's Nick?"

"Oh, Nick's great. I'm great. We're great. Together. Apart and together. Everything's great!" The nervous laugh gave away all her discomfort, but Mrs. Hopp's missed it in favor of scolding one of her kits.

"Everybody's so excited to meet him," Bonnie said upon returning her attention to the phone. "And I've already planned out the meal!"

"Everybody?" Judy repeated a little breathlessly, daring to hope.

Hearing her mother's laugh caused a swell of homesickness in her, and she found herself slumping into the armchair despite the speed at which her heart was stuttering at. "Everybody who matters," Bonnie amended. "You know how your grandparents are. And… some of your siblings."

Judy bit her lip. "Dad's ok?"

Her mother's sigh was tired, a sharp contrast from her previously chipper tone. "He'll come around, sweetheart. Give him time and… be patient. He's more afraid for you than anything, really."

The silence that ensued said more than anything Judy could think of to say herself, so she shook her head to clear the disappointment, then pressed on. "What about you, mom?"

"Well," Bonnie began carefully, measuring her words. "I won't say I'm not afraid myself, but I've always thought you had a good head on your shoulders. If anything happened, I know you'd tell us."

Judy's mouth dried, and her body worked over time to force her lips apart so she could say, "That's actually why I called." Taking a deep breath, she picked a spot on the wall to focus her nervous energy on. "I'm going into criminal justice, mom."

The line was quiet. Not even her siblings were making a sound, as if they'd heard, too. Finally, her mom asked, "Like a lawyer?"

Biting her cheek, Judy made an indecisive noise. "No, not a lawyer. Not really. More like a, um, a cop." She swallowed. "A police officer."

"Oh!"

Judy laughed uncomfortably. " _Oh_."

"That's… that's _dangerous_ , Judith."

" _Judith_ _"_ cringed at the use of her full name and the fact that she could hear her mother's disapproving, worried face. "I know."

"There's never been a bunny cop before."

"I know," she said again, more confidently than she felt, while smoothing out the material of the couch beneath her paws. "I just… I _really_ want this."

"But there are so many other things you could do! So many things that are… that are more… _rewarding_. _Safer!_ Closer to home, even…" Mrs. Hopps trailed off. "You've got your mind set on this, don't you?"

"Yeah," Judy smiled ruefully.

"You'll have to tell your dad."

Judy cringed, clenching and unclenching a fist. Her dad… well, he was a good dad, she would never have denied that. But he was a little (a lot) anxious, and Judy worried that the news of her career path, followed so soon after being told about Nick, would lead him to do something drastic, like… like pull her out of the city. Or faint. Oh god, or worse, _cry_.

But she'd already ruminated on every option, ultimately deciding that keeping the information from her parents would prove more detrimental than beneficial. So she'd hunkered down, taken several deep breaths, and pressed the digits into her phone. And now she was sitting here, wondering if she regretted everything that had led her up to this point.

No. No, she did not. This was good. This was _right_. "I'll tell dad, and… I'll do it myself." She nodded resolutely at the wall.

"Alright," Mrs. Hopps answered gently. "When's the next time you're visiting?"

"Fall break?" Judy said it like she wasn't so sure herself.

"That's fine. After you meet Nick's mother?"

Straightening, Judy's ears perked. She'd forgotten about that. How could she have forgotten about that? A kaleidoscope of butterflies erupted in her stomach. " _Right_. Yes."

Bonnie laughed. "You'll do fine, sweetheart. Tell me all about it when you're here!"

"Thanks, mom. I miss you guys."

"Oh, Judy," Bonnie sighed, the wistful sound crackling through the speaker. "We miss you, too. And I'm so proud of you. Very scared, but also very, _very_ proud."

The feeling of wishing she could see her family's bright, beaming faces washed through her in one powerful wave, and Judy struggled to keep herself from getting emotional. "I love you," she said, voice small and weak as she smiled to herself at how sentimental she was.

"I love you, too," her mother responded just as fondly. "Now go to work. I have to start lunch."

—

Nick was all for floral. Floral was good. It was great. The familiar scent of Judy– sweet peas and dandelion– was a comfort he'd never known before and now would be wholly unwilling to ever part with. Pressing his snout into her neck and inhaling was a gift that he'd been without for far too long.

But when he stepped into the flower shop, he wheezed a little, stopping for a minute to collect his breath. Judy's head lifted from the gardening magazine she had been mechanically flipping through with glazed eyes. When her gaze lighted on her favorite fox, her ears perked and her eyes brightened. Then, when she saw him slowly breathing in and out, she understood the situation and smiled apologetically at him.

He noticed that her own stare was a little watery, maybe even slightly pink on the edges. Nick raised a brow and Judy laughed. "Sorry. Mr. Otterton said we had an over shipment of gardenias. We're having a 'three pots for $10' sale now." She tilted the pen in her paw towards the display. "But anyways, what's up, Wilde? Or are you just here to cause trouble?"

"Trouble?" Nick scoffed, leaning against the counter and folding his arms. "I'm just here to shake things up, fluff."

Judy grimaced jokingly and teased, "That's never a good thing."

Nick beamed, giving her a show of all his teeth. Leaning in conspiratorially, he whispered, "The truth is, I'm actually here to buy flowers."

Judy feigned shock. "Is that what people do at flower shops? Coulda fooled me."

Nick leaned away, squinting at her suspiciously. "I think you've been hanging out with me too much. You didn't use to be like this."

Laughing, Judy hopped off her stool to meet Nick on the other side of the counter. "You bring out the best in me, slick!" She said, wrapping her arms around his stomach and grinning up at him. Her ears stopped right under Nick's muzzle, and his nose twitched as he smoothed down the appendages with his paw.

"So, who're the flowers for?" Judy asked, pulling away.

"My girlfriend"– when Judy smiled and flushed with abashed joy, Nick paused to smile back slyly– "' _ssss_ _mother_."

He broke into uncontrollable laughter when her expression flickered cluelessly between pleasant surprise and complete confusion. "My mom?"

Wiping the tears away delicately with a claw, Nick answered, "Yupp. For Christmouse."

"But you have three and a half months," Judy furrowed her brows in concern.

"I want to be prepared," Nick answered casually, shrugging. A mischievous smile crept over Judy's face.

"You're _preparing in advance_ ," she said breathily, wonder in her voice. "You're _so_ _nervous!_ " She exclaimed, prodding him in the chest gleefully.

"I am," Nick admitted dryly. "So help me out here, Carrots. I guarantee that doing so will benefit you as well."

"It sure will!" Judy piped, taking his wrist and dragging him along behind her. "My mom's favorites are nasturtiums, daylilies, and borage. They look nice but also taste the best, you know?"

"That is… that is not what I was expecting," Nick murmured, wondering how in over his head he was.

"Mr. Otterton stocks _plenty_ of nasturtiums and borage. Daylilies are kind of hard to get just because you have to pick them before they bloom if you want to eat them, but I think I can figure something out. I mean, I work here, after all, and I _kinda_ grew up on a farm. Maybe you can get some Chrysanthemums, too? This all might be kind of difficult to arrange though, the sizes and shapes and colors–"

As she rambled, Nick listened intently without understanding a word of what she was saying, unaware of the affectionate look in his eyes until he saw Mr. Otterton eyeing the both of them with clear amusement.

The otter waved, pruning shears still in his hand, and then winked. Nick waved back weakly.

"– so I can just put it all together when Christmouse comes. Is that ok?"

Blinking, Nick took the collection of flowers Judy had hoarded in the short distance from the cash register to the display of edible flowers. "Sounds good," he responded, not quite sure what he was responding _to._

Judy bit her lip, trying to hide her delight. "You have no idea what's happening, do you?" When Nick shook his head sheepishly, Judy rolled her eyes good-naturedly and plucked a single, long-stemmed flower from his stack. She bopped it against his nose and looked at him with so much love he could feel cavities forming. "Don't worry. You're perfect, Nick. Everything's going to be ok."

_Everything's going to be ok_. Nick stared after her as she bounded excitedly back to the register. When she turned around to say something to Nick, only to find he wasn't there, she looked back at him and cocked her head. Motioning for Nick to catch up to her, she looked at him with bemusement. "You ok?"

Nick stepped up to her and nodded slowly. "Yeah. Zoned out."

"You're _really_ nervous," Judy chuckled, patting the counter to let Nick know he could drop the flowers there. Stooping down to collect a piece of paper and a pen, she missed Nick's contemplative look. But when she popped back up, ready to make her list, Nick was hovering so close to her, her eyes crossed.

Smiling, he pressed his nose to her's, then straightened and watched her with a look she couldn't pinpoint, only knew that it made her insides warm. "Isn't it your lunch break soon?" He asked.

"Yeah"– Judy glanced at the clock to her side– "It started two minutes ago, actually."

"Wanna try that pizza parlor you were talking about the other day?"

" _Really?!_ I thought you weren't interested!"

"I might've changed my mind sometime between then and now."

"Must've been my charm. I really sold it."

"Well, you _do_ have charm in spades. You sure you wanna go into criminal justice? You're looking at a promising career in sales."

" _Ha!_ " Judy, now standing at his side, bumped his hip with hers. "Funny, fox. I've never been more sure about anything."

Just as she moved to take a step forward, Nick took her paw in his, squeezing. Judy looked up at him curiously, and Nick tugged her along. "Never, huh?"

"Never," Judy reaffirmed, nodding her head at him. "What about you?"

He smiled at her without pretense, squeezing her hand again. "Me neither."


End file.
